Even Angels Have Their Black Desires
by Terrorize
Summary: The world can be a cruel place. Despite the trio saving wizarding Britain, not everyone is pleased. To stop the risk of war and economic collapse, the trio must serve a token stretch in Azkaban. Alone and afraid, Hermione finds herself living meters away from the woman from her nightmares, Bellatrix Lestrange. Azkaban will herald a new beginning for both witches. (BL/HG pair, AU)
1. Chapter 1: A Cruel World

**A/N:** Hi all ^^ This is my first attempt at this pairing so I hope I can do it justice like many others have ^^ They are my favourite ship and my guilty pleasure ;) But I couldn't find a starting point I was happy with to go with the story I wanted to tell, until I was inspired by a fic written by **Liidg **called **Witches in Prison.** If you haven't already, read his or her fics, they are truly amazing ^^. About the title… Don't ask, I'm not too sure lol, it's a play on words using the lyrics from a song. Read, review and most of all… Enjoy!

**Pairings: **First and foremost, it will be a **Hermione/Bellatrix **story. I'm sorry to say for those that don't like it, it will start of as **Hermione/Ron** but it will be minimal and their time short. The only other pairing worth mentioning is **Hermione/Tonks **but only as a pre-story pairing, and there will be the odd scene where they are close, but not close close. Other than that it will be primarily **Bellamione!** (Sorry for the slightly lengthy pairing section, figured it best to fully explain and forewarn you all.)

**Rating: **M Rated, its Bellamione, can it be anything other than M rated? ;) (Don't answer that ^^)

**Timeline: **An AU set after HP: TDH, namely after The Battle of Hogwarts.

**Warnings: **This fic contains **sexual content**, some of it **non-consensual**, there will be **abuse** and **violence**, and mentions of delicate subjects although I will warn you about them in the relevant chapters.

**Disclaimer:** The world of Harry Potter and the original storyline are not mine; they belong to J.K. Rowling.

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><p><strong>Even Angels Have Their Black Desires<strong>

**Chapter 1: A Cruel World**

**Hermione**

**(Present Day)**

Hermione shivered as she sat on her hard cold bed in her small dark damp cell, she cradled her knees close to her chest. Mustering what little warmth she could as they grinded against her body, Hermione tucked her face between her knees and she began to recall the events of the previous week.

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><p><strong>(1 Week Ago)<strong>

The war had come to an abrupt end when the darkest wizard of all time, Lord Voldemort, was vanquished by none other than her best friend, the _chosen one,_ Harry Potter. Killed when his own killing curse rebounded. The remaining Death Eaters that hadn't already done so by that point, either fled Hogwarts, allowed themselves to be taken alive, or went down fighting. Either way, the death of the Dark Lord was the informal end of the war, the battle of Hogwarts, the battle for both the worlds of Wizarding and Muggle Britain had finally been won.

Cheers had rang throughout the Great Hall and the corridors of the ruined school, celebrations had already begun the second Voldemort's lifeless body had hit the floor. Hermione ran up to her friend and flung her arms around Harry's neck, a third body joined the fray, Hermione looked up and beamed with happiness as her red-headed sort-of boyfriend, Ron Weasley joined in on the group hug.

"Harry you did it!" Hermione chirped cheerfully between tears, alternating hugs between both the boys.

"No Hermione, we all did. I couldn't have done this without the pair of you." He replied modestly as he clamped his hands on both Hermione's and Ron's shoulders.

Hermione allowed herself to enjoy the tearful, happy and slightly selfish private reunion with the rest of the trio for a few moments, even although they had achieved victory. It had come at a great cost, so many had lost their lives in the battle; the sides of the hall were already lined with bodies covered in white sheets. She had seen a few familiar faces before they had been covered up, friends and classmates alike, Remus Lupin, Fred Weasley, Lavender Brown, Colin Creevey. Hermione was certain that there were other's she knew under those sheets that she had yet to see and other's that had yet to be found.

And while Hermione would mourn her lost friends later, for now she rejoiced for each one that had survived, thankful for each living face she knew and saw. Her victorious mood was further lifted when Madam Pomfrey announced that while she would have a few scars; Nymphadora Tonks would survive her almost fatal injuries. Tears streamed down from Hermione's eyes at the good news, old feelings stirred deep within her for the young Auror and a twinge of guilt rippled through her stomach as an oblivious Ron hugged her tight.

While those who were able to, treated the injured. Madam Pomfrey again remarked, this time less enthusiastically that someone else had managed to cling onto life and would survive their injuries with treatment. The woman who had tormented and tortured Hermione, the woman who had since that day at Malfoy manor, haunted her dreams every night since, the Dark Lord's most faithful and devoted lieutenant, Bellatrix Lestrange. More than a few people suggested subtlety to let her die, although some were more direct.

"Leave her. Come treat my friend's hand." A ravenclaw girl shouted over politely.

"Take a break Madam."

"Avert your eyes Miss and I'll ease her passing." A middle aged Auror said, portraying what some would have believed to be mercy. But Hermione saw the fury in his eyes; she felt his icy tone lift the hairs on the back of her neck. '_No… Not kindness, not mercy… Revenge perhaps? He wants to execute her out of hate!'_ The thought unnerved her more then she cared to admit, he was meant to be an Auror, not a murderer… She on the other hand was, among other things and a Death Eater. But she also was badly injured, unconscious and helpless… '_We don't kill people in such a state, we don't execute our prisoners! It's something that separates us from them, from people like her!'_

But Madam Pomfrey refused them all point blank, stating that no matter who her patient was, it went against her code as a nurse to refuse and hold back medical treatment. A couple of hot-heads tried to get a curse of, to finish of Bellatrix for good but the old nurse wouldn't budge and blocked all attempts.

A week later and Hermione still didn't know why she did it, but she stepped in, standing by Pomfrey's side, ready to protect her tormentor against further attacks. For to stand back and let someone in dire need of treatment, completely incapable of defending themselves, be targeted, went against everything Hermione believed in. She was a firm believer in the rights of all livings things, and while the person clinging to life behind her was more a monster than a person, she was still a human being and it was Hermione's moral duty to stand for what was right. Even although knowing full well that if the tables were turned, the witch behind her would have no issue with killing Hermione off herself. Perhaps that's why Hermione did it, in her mind, doing the opposite of what Bellatrix Lestrange would do, would always be a good thing, the right thing to do.

"Step aside Hermione dear." Hermione recognised the voice of the Weasley matriarch in the crowd, trying to reason calmly with her son's friend.

"I'm sorry but I can't let you do this." Hermione retorted in barely a whisper. '_Why am I doing this? Damn my moral compass!'_

"She's a monster!" The familiar the voice of Neville rang in the crowd, demanding blood.

"Yes, she is. But don't stoop to her level, you're better than this." Hermione completely understood why Neville would want blood, the monster behind her helped ruin his life, torturing his parents into a never ending insanity. But from what she had heard and knew about the Neville's parents, Hermione knew they wouldn't want their son to do this. '_He's above such acts, we all are.'_

Hermione wasn't alone in standing for what was right, Narcissa Malfoy also stood by her sister, putting another body between the growing mob and her eldest sister despite being wand-less. She might have been shocked to see Mrs Malfoy still here and drawing attention to herself if Harry hadn't already told her that it was thanks to Narcissa that he was alive and that he owed a debt to her, one he intended to use to keep Narcissa and her son Draco out of Azkaban. Stating that both were more victims of family ties then anything, and that when it mattered most, they turned their backs on the Dark Lord and helped the light in their own way.

"Ugh of course _she_ would stand by her sister!" Someone shouted.

"Her sister's a Death Eater, her husband's a Death Eater and her son's a Death Eater! She has to be one too! We should take her down too, just to be safe!" The middle aged Auror once again added his voice, working up the crowd. Hermione shot him a dark look. '_We just won the war! Voldemort is dead and you want to start lynching people already! What the fuck is wrong with you?'_ Hermione wished she had the nerve to say this out loud, to shame the man. But no… She was too nice and afraid, afraid that they would try turn on her next.

"No. Mrs Malfoy and Draco both helped me today. If they hadn't then I would most certainly be dead and so would most of you." Harry spoke up from beyond the crowd, most turned to look at him in shook, some even shifted away from the crowd. He gave Narcissa a short nod, but she gave nothing in return, not a peep, she didn't even flinch at the threat made against her and instead stood silent and strong.

The third body to stand between the mob and Bellatrix while she received treatment to stabilise her condition, took everyone by surprise. Andromeda Tonks, the disowned Black sister had also participated during the battle, fighting by her daughter's side. Sensing trouble, she had left her unconscious daughter's makeshift bedside and was now standing in defence of the ones who had once cast her out. Tonks had told Hermione all about what had happened between the three sisters, so to see them all together, sort off, was surreal to say the least.

"You should all be ashamed of yourself! Since when do we execute patients and murder prisoners?!" Hermione bit the inside of her cheek as Mrs Tonks spoke out, holding back a grin, believing that the older witch had got that slightly muddled up. '_Although on second thoughts… That way does sound more malicious, perhaps it was intentional.'_

Before things got further out of hand, Kingsley stepped in and while he didn't stand in defence of Bellatrix, he did put things in perspective for the crowd and soon the lynch mob dispersed. It was easy to see, from the way Kingsley got through to the crowd and the respect they obviously felt for him, why Kingsley was favourite to become the next minister of magic.

Satisfied that she had done the right thing, Hermione had left the protection of her tormentor to her siblings and went off to join Harry and Ron in celebrating with the rest of their friends. Everything had been going so well and while there were more than a few tearful moments, the future was bright and for the first time in years, Hermione was looking forward to what it would hold for her, for her friends.

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><p>(<strong>5 Days Ago)<strong>

But the world can be cruel and unforgiving at times as Hermione was soon reminded when two days after the battle; Ministry officials arrived to arrest the trio. They were brought before Kingsley who had already been named acting Minister of Magic, where he then explained what the situation was.

"This is bullshit Kingsley!" Harry snapped at the acting Minister.

"We just bloody saved the wizarding word and you're checking us in Azkaban!" Ron yelled, moving to get out of his seat but Hermione grabbed his arm, stopping him. It wouldn't help for all of them to loss their cool, so Hermione took it upon herself to be the level-headed one. '_As always…'_ Just once she wished she could be the one to snap and scream. But instead she masked her own fury behind a mask of calmness and understanding.

"I know and believe me if there was any other way... As I told you, the Goblins… You know how proud they are, and they are angry at the break in. Furious at the feat the three of you accomplished, it severely hurt their pride." Kingsley spoke with calmly, alternating between meeting her gaze and the two boys as he lent forward in his chair, his hands clasped together resting on the desk. "There is also the matter of the mass murder that took place-"

"That was Voldemort! It was nothing to do with us!" Harry yelled quickly cutting of Kingsley.

"I know Mr Potter, they know that deep down too… But for now, they are placing the blame for everything at your feet."

"Why are you letting them do this?" Ron hissed angrily, Hermione forced back a sigh. For someone who grew up in an all wizarding family, Ron was surprisingly dense at times about how the wizarding world worked.

"Because they have everyone's gold Ronald. That is what they're holding against you right Minister? They are threatening to close off everyone's accounts and deny the wizarding world access to their gold?" Hermione asked calmly as she finally added her input, her mind processing the countless scenarios and options as she clasped her hands together on her lap, entwining her fingers with each other as an outlet for her emotions.

"That's correct Miss Granger and now more than ever the wizarding community of Britain needs its wealth. The war may be largely over, but it will take years to rebuild, to repair the damage… And we can't do that without funds… So you see, for now… We have no choice." Kingsley shifted uncomfortably in his seat as he tried to be as diplomatic as he could. But Hermione could tell the Minister was just as angry about the Goblin's and their demands, but he too, like Hermione was keeping it bottled up.

"The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few." Hermione muttered, mostly to herself but Kingsley gave her a sad smile as he overheard her.

"Basically Miss Granger. I don't believe I've heard it quite like that before, is it a muggle saying?" The Minister asked curiously and Hermione felt her cheeks warm.

"Erm… Sort off, it's from… Er… Star Trek…" She replied slightly embarrassed, awaiting the inevitable question that would come next. '_God… I'm such a geek.'_

"Ah, on any other occasion I would be intrigued to know more…" He paused briefly and gave Hermione a slight smile. "But for now it would be inappropriate. But anyway yes, that saying rings true. As Minister, I have to consider the needs of the whole community… But rest assured we will not rest until this is sorted out in a way that will benefit us all."

"Can't we just take it? Ya'know, by force?" Hermione, Harry and Kingsley all gave Ron a peculiar look that said, '_You can't be serious…'_

Hermione wanted to pull her hair out, Ron had been getting on her nerves all morning and his unhelpful outbursts and _suggestions_ were really getting under her skin. "Ron! Of course we can't! We just ended a war and that would surely start another! Don't you remember our lessons on the Goblin Rebellions? It was a hard and long drawn out war last time, and that was when the wizarding community was at full strength." Hermione tried for the best part to keep her voice down, but she was unable to hide her annoyance and Ron went red, he folded his arms, sat back and pouted.

"Miss Granger is spot on Mr Weasley. You three of all people will know that we only just barely won the wizarding war, and we are in no way at _full strength._ War is something we must avoid at all costs."

"How long would we be there for?" Harry said with a sigh.

"I can't say for certain Mr Potter… A few weeks maybe. Like I said before, we won't rest until we find a way to have you all free while still having a satisfied Goblin community… But for now, you'll need to serve this _token stretch _to sate the Goblins for the time being. It grieves me to have to place this on your shoulders after all you three have done… But there really is no other option for the time being." Hermione couldn't blame Kingsley, she knew the Ex-Auror now Minister would do everything he could and that if there was one person who could sort out this mess, it was him.

"Ok… And when do we…?" Harry asked as he slumped back in his chair in defeat.

For the first time since arriving, Kingsley refused to meet any of their gazes and Hermione had a good guess what his answer was about to be before he even spoke. "Straight after this meeting."

"Fuck me not even a trial?" Blurted out Ron, but he was the only one out of the trio to look shocked. Harry was used to such things being hushed up and swept under the rug, while Hermione had no delusions about the reasoning behind it.

"Language please Mr Weasley… And no, we want to keep this quiet and hopefully have it sorted before it becomes common knowledge. A trial would draw attention to the issue and the community, rightly so will be as furious as you and I are. We can't have some hot heads seeking reprisal or…"

"Or we'll all be screwed." Hermione finished off in a flat tone which Kingsley merely nodded in reply to.

Harry let out another short sigh. "Can I make one request at least?"

"Of course Mr Potter, I will grant anything within my power." The Minister seemed to relax slightly as the boys silently and begrudgingly accepted their temporary fate.

"Can we at least be kept together? Cells next to each other or something." Harry asked hopefully as he gestured towards both Hermione and Ron.

Kingsley's face grew tense again. "I feared you might ask that. No… Sorry. Azkaban is going through major changes, without the Dementors to keep prisoners docile… We have to categorise prisoners and adhere to certain standards and rights… Such as keeping male and female prisoners separate…" Hermione flinched and felt her heart freeze over. All three turned to look at her, the boys gave her a horrified look while Kingsley went on to say. "I'm so Miss Granger, truly I am."

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><p><strong>(Present Day)<strong>

Hermione stifled a sniffle as she stopped recalling the events, something she had done every day since arriving, those in which had led her to her current predicament. Separated from her friends, all alone in a cold dark cell in a secluded part of Azkaban reserved for female prisoners.

Her _wing_ and that's exactly what it was, hers. Was, for the best part, deserted. Hermione didn't recall seeing any other female prisoners when she arrived, although fair enough she didn't pass every cell in the wing nor did she try and look. But it was the sounds that gave it away, or lack of sounds to be more precise, she heard no one crying, talking, breathing... Over her first few days she did hear the odd low whimper and small noise, but half the time Hermione found she had been the one to make it, the other half she probably imagined. Part of her took a small amount of pride in the lack of female criminals. Thinking back she could only name two female Death Eaters, and she had only seen one or two others during the war that Hermione couldn't name, she had no idea what had happened to them, if they died or fled, but they certainly weren't here. And neither was Alecto Carrow, nor Bellatrix Lestrange, which she was eternally thankful for.

Hermione knew that Alecto had been one of the first Death Eaters to fall and couldn't help but wonder what happened to her after. '_Maybe she came back around and fled? Or was taken away by her comrades? Or killed.' _As for Bellatrix Lestrange… Hermione guessed the sadistic Death Eater was stuck in some heavily guarded infirmary recovering from her injuries. Hermione hoped that she would be long gone, no, more than hoped; she prayed she'd be long gone from this place before Bellatrix was locked up near her.

The thought that Bellatrix _might_ be locked up near her in the near future, was enough to send Hermione scurrying into the corner out of instinctual fear, a fear that never lifted, never faltered, not since that day at Malfoy Manor. '_Well… Apart from last week…'_ Hermione made a noise of frustration and banged her head back against the wall. _'I'm so stupid! I had the chance to end my nightmares! But nooo, I'm goody two shoes Granger, always taking the moral high ground.'_ She banged her head against the wall again and a sharp pain instantly followed which she soon started to regret.

Other than the never ending crashing waves below, the eerie solitude and the terrifying thought that her tormentor may soon arrive, Hermione had found her stay in the formidable and the formerly soul-sucking prison quiet bearable. '_Perhaps it's the lack of the soul-sucking element.'_ It should have sounded just a tiny bit crazy, but Azkaban _wasn't so bad._ But compared to the previous months where they had been on the run, hiding from snatchers and eluding Death Eaters, living off scraps and fearing every shadow as they trekked the country lost and alone. Azkaban was an improvement; at least here no one was trying to kill her. '_The biggest threat I face here is boredom! I'll know I've gone insane if I start counting the bricks in my cell… Again.'_

Aside from the lack of human contact and a decent bed. Every aspect of her day was considerably better than say a day on the run. Meals were served three times a day, which either turned out to be crusty bread and some sort of lumpy stew which largely resembled Ron's attempt at potions or a different type of crusty bread and a different texture lumpy stew. Sometimes they even mixed up which bread was served with which stew and she'd spend meal times trying to guess what the meat was today. '_Living a life of luxury with a unique gourmet menu_, _I could get used to this…' _

Even she wasn't sure if she being sarcastic with herself or not… But then again, she had tasted Ron and Harry's cooking, this was most defiantly an improvement. Even the _toilet_ was an improvement, a bucket with a bottomless charm versus a bush with one of her two _male_ friends on watch. The bucket wins. At least the bucket didn't hum or whistle awkwardly. '_God… I will never ever be able to go anywhere with greenery with those two ever again.'_ Hermione's eyes looked over the rest of her cell's contents. Aside from the bucket, she had a bowl with a never ending supply of water for drinking and washing, a crude steel bed with a hard mattress and sheets only just barely thick enough to keep the icy chill of her, sometimes.

Other than that, her cell was as crude as she imagined one in Azkaban to be, that part of Azkaban did live up to her expectations. Grimy cold and dark stone making up five sides of her little cube, a small grate in one wall was the only thing that distinguished it from the others, '_A lovely sea view… Or at least I guess there is… All I can see is grey clouds that are only slightly lighter than the stone in my cell.'_ Her last wall was one made up entirely of dark iron bars with a small yet strong iron gate moulded into it. '_Not an ounce of privacy, I guess some things never change.'_ Hermione could look out of her cell, look across a meter width hallway and see clearly into a cell identical to hers. It was exactly the same, brick for brick, grime for grime. If it wasn't for the lack of a grate and a Hermione double, she would have sworn she was looking into a mirror.

The lack of guards patrolling had surprised her at first, she was lucky if she saw one pass her cell at all in a day. But then again… She did seem to be one of the only ones in this wing, if not the only one, it would have been a waste of resources to keep walking past one person all day when you got other wings packed with prisoners. Annoyingly neither the guard who walked past, or the one that delivered meals seemed keen on chatting, in fact they actively avoided it. Almost as if she wasn't there. But then she remembered the bucket and the lack of privacy. '_Maybe I should be glad no one hangs around to talk…'_

When she wasn't playing guess the meat, counting various countable objects or patterns to keep her mind active and busy, or trying to figure out if the noise she heard was in her head or in her wing. She would instead think on her friends, mostly on Ron and Harry who while close together, were locked up near some of the worst of Voldemort's followers and other scum. All of which hated the two boys. '_They'll be ok… They've had years of practice being screamed at by people who hate the, especially Harry… They won't break… I hope.'_ Her thoughts would also turn to her friends on the outside, Ginny, Luna, Neville… Tonks. They must know by now what had happened to her and the boys and wondered what they had said about it, and if they were doing anything about it. She avoided thinking of her parents, while she believed mostly that they were perfectly fine and had survived, there was always the _'What if…?' _In the back of her mind.

That was how life in Azkaban was for Hermione for the first few days and it stayed that way for the next five. But once again, the world can be a cruel place and it would seem the god's didn't listen to her prayers or just plainly ignored her. For tonight Bellatrix Lestrange arrived.

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><p><strong>AN:** I hope you enjoyed the first chapter in this story and that it was enough to keep you hooked ^^ to avoid confusion I'll forewarn you now, the next Chapter will be centred on Bellatrix and doesn't pick up where this one ends, but instead runs parallel to this one. Oh and just to make clear, Hermione isn't insane, just veeeerry bored :P Let me know what you think about the story so far and I'll update soon :)


	2. Chapter 2: Treacherous Blood

**A/N:** Big thanks to all who have already shown their support with this story ^^ since the first chapter was received so well :) I'm posted this one ahead of schedule. A couple of quick notes before chapter 2.

While being an AU story, I use a mix of the books and movies as part of the pre-story background as you'll see in the first part of this chapter; it's a mix of the final part of The Battle of Hogwarts from the book and the film as well as some AU. As I stated at the end of the last chapter, this chapter runs parallel with the previous chapter but is centred on Bellatrix, starting slightly ahead of Ch1 in the timeline and ends at the same point Chapter 1 did. Last point, in the rush to post Ch1 I may have forgotten to post the warnings, so they are posted here as well as Ch1 :)

**Warnings: **This fic contains **sexual content**, some of it **non-consensual**, there will be **abuse** and **violence**, and mentions of delicate subjects although I will warn you about them in the relevant chapters.

**Disclaimer:** The world of Harry Potter and the original storyline are not mine; they belong to J.K. Rowling.

Read, review and most of all… Enjoy!

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><p><strong>Chapter 2: <strong>Treacherous <strong>Blood**

**Bellatrix**

**(Present Day)**

Her eyelids felt heavy and it took all of Bellatrix's strength to force them open. The light was blinding and everything was a blur, she couldn't make out anything, her surroundings were too distorted. A lingering yet sharp agonising pain shot through her heart and worked its way down her body, Bella's lids clamped closed as she winced. Confused and in pain, she gritted her teeth and tried to think back to the last thing she could remember in the hope of answers but in the process fell back asleep.

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><p><strong>(1 Week Ago)<strong>

Victory had all but been secured. Itty-bitty-baby-Potter was dead and the pitiful Order and their supporters had been crushed, their spirit and morale broken. Or so Bellatrix thought as she stood up high on top of a pile of rubble, heckling and laughing at her Master's enemies distraught faces, as the Dark Lord broke the news of _the chosen one's death_ with pleasure to those that still stood_._

Her Master then went on to offer all those present a chance to pledge their allegiances to him, she dug her nails into the palm of her hands hard to stop herself protesting. It wasn't her place to question her Master's wisdom, especially in public. '_I must believe the Dark Lord knows what he's doing… But… There are a lot of undesirables here… Mudblood vermin and blood traitors!' _Her eyes scanned the crowd, picking out those she knew fitted firmly in those categories, the Weasels, ickle baby Fatbottom, the woman who was almost identical to her in looks… Her disgraceful blood traitor of a disowned sister, _Andromeda_.

'_How dare she show her face here!' _Bellatrix let out a low hiss as their eyes met then grinned at her sibling's hurt expression. '_I wonder if her whelp… The abomination, survived our little duel.'_ The memory of crushing her _niece_ in a fierce duel while her mother looked on in horror, caught in a duel of her own, almost brought tears of joy to Bella's eyes. She would never admit it of course but her niece had put up a good fight and was admittedly the best opponent she had faced during the battle, she was even slightly… And only slightly, disappointed when her niece fell, but only because she had been enjoying the fight so much. 'She_ definitely didn't get her skills from the mudblood filth in her blood.'_

Bellatrix wondered if her sister was surprised at her for not killing her niece. But she'd be an even bigger fool to believe Bellatrix did it out of any sort of love or family loyalty, no, her reasons were simple and more sadistic. She found killing her opponents too anticlimactic, if they died by '_accident'_ or because they were too weak then so be it. But Bellatrix preferred to cause agonising and long lasting pain, she preferred to leave them drowning in their own blood, clinging onto life with a splutter as she walked away swaying her hips seductively. And if… If they went on to survive, then her brutal actions often would leave a permanent scar in their minds and on their hearts for the rest of their now ruined lives. How could granting the sweet release of death ever compare to that? Every one of her victims were living trophies, each one a testimony to her skill.

She watched as her nephew, Draco, was the first to break away from the group and approach the Dark Lord. '_Why were you even over there in the first place my dear little nephew?'_ She thought as her eyes followed him suspiciously. '_Talking about trophies!'_ Bellatrix cackled as Neville Longbottom approached the Dark Lord next. His parents were her masterpiece, her most treasured _work_. But only she, Narcissa and the Dark Lord knew the true extent of her motives for why she did what she did to the Longbottoms, motives which were different from those she proudly proclaimed all those years ago. '_I swore vengeance on them; I promised myself I would not rest till I took my revenge… And I did!'_

The idiot boy started to ramble on about '_Fallen allies still being with them.'_ Bellatrix rolled her eyes and hoped the Dark Lord would silence him, but he seemed to be humouring the boy. She forced back a sigh and let her mind wonder and kept surveying the crowd, still pondering what use the Dark Lord would find for the undesirables. '_Hmm, perhaps he wants to use them as slave labour in the remodelling of wizarding Britain? And maybe as servants and playthings for his most faithful and loyal subjects… Mmm yes…' _That idea peaked her interest and she made a mental note to put it forth to her Master, just in case it wasn't on the cards.

Bellatrix felt she had earned a little leisure time and as much as she absolutely loved the thrill of combat, she missed having a helpless plaything in her possession, begging and pleading for mercy. Her taste for such activities had been rekindled at her darling sister's mansion just over a month ago and she knew just who she wanted back under her blade.

Bella's eyes settled on the one called Granger who had served as the catalyst for her renewed cravings, one of the weasels had his arm around her and it took all of Bellatrix's restraint not to hex the boy there and then. '_No one touches my possessions! No one!'_ As far as Bella was concerned, she had laid claim to the girl and the muddy belonged to her, she had been marked by her and one thing Bellatrix most defiantly didn't do, was share. But Bella's claim on the mudblood was based on more than a simple '_I had her first._' Apart from being everything Bellatrix despised, she was also the spitting image of someone from her past, her height, her skin tone, her hair, her eyes, her features, her… Everything! She was practically identical in every way and Bellatrix took that as a grave personal insult.

Then… Things changed very quickly. The glint of silver and rubies in the corner of her eye, snapped Bellatrix attention back to the Longbottom boy who had just drawn that blasted sword from the sorting hat. Gasps and low cheers started to break out, she initially thought it was because of the silly little magic act the idiot had performed. Then a familiar voice shouted out a spell behind her. '_No it can't be!'_ Bella spun round and her eyes widened in surprise as Potter ran past her, very much alive. She had to duck quickly to avoid being hit by a spell from her master aimed at the boy and quickly retreated out of the line of fire. Her eyes followed Potter, still dumbstruck at the most unwelcome surprise, the sounds of people panicking and disapparating forced her attention from the boy and to her comrades.

Bellatrix couldn't believe her eyes, a large number of them were… Fleeing! "COWARDS! COME BACK! COME BACK HERE AND FIGHT!" Bellatrix shirked at the top of her voice, but she swayed no one. "TRAITORS! FILTHY COWARDS THE LOT OF YOU!"

She wished she could have caught a few and made examples out of them, but for now she had a fight to win for her Master and began to push forward by his side. The Order fought back harder than before, spurred on by false hope, no longer did some of the lesser witches and wizards turn and flee when they saw her approach and instead ganged up on her in pairs and groups of three. She fell them as quickly as they came and breached the Great Hall with her Master and those that remained loyal, hoping to find Potter here, where the Order had decided to make its final stand.

The fighting should have been exhilarating, but instead Bellatrix felt strangely empty and very confused. '_Something isn't right! He was dead! Cissy said so herself!'_ During the commotion she lost sight of her Master when he went to kill the Longbottom boy for managing to behead Nagini. Because of the cowards that fled, the remainder of her Master's forces were heavily outnumbered and many had started to fall to overwhelming numbers. Even Bellatrix was feeling the strain, or to be more accurate the wand she was using was. Her original wand had been taken during the skirmish at her sister's manor, so she had been forced to use one of the spares Greyback had stolen from Ollivanders when they kidnapped him.

Pure will alone had been enough to keep the unfaithful wand in check and obey her every command up into now, but the ferocity of her own attacks and the ones used against her was causing the wand to buckle under the pressure. Bellatrix caught sight of her master duelling the Auror Kingsley and her former Professors, Slughorn and McGonagall. She had planned to go fight by his side, but the sight of a familiar 12 ¾ curved walnut wand in the hands of that filthy mudblood drew her attention. Bellatrix quickly made her way over to them, cutting a clean path through anyone that tried to stand before her and soon found herself face to face with the mudblood Granger, the female weasel and the loony blonde girl.

"OI! I believe you have something of mine muddy!" Bellatrix shirked and directed a powerful curse in her direction, the young witch blocked it and didn't reply to her but the fear in her eyes was clear, as was the shaking of her hand as she held Bella's wand tightly. "How dare you! How dare you steal from your betters! Your filthy mudblood fingers have no right holding a wand!"

She shot numerous curses at the trio while they took it in turns to defend each other and return fire, Bellatrix had little issue defending and attacking at the same time, although _her_ wand did waver a few times. The other two girls were a mere pest and Bella wanted to focus her full attention on the brunette so despite liking to toy with her opponents, she tried to despatch the ginger one hastily. "_Avada Kedavra!_" She shrilled out loud; it should have struck true… But at the last split second her wand buckled again under the pressure and the curse shot slightly wide.

Her attack didn't go unnoticed and the matriarch Weasley pushed past the three younger witches. "Not my daughter, you bitch!" Mrs Weasley spat out.

Bellatrix laughed in the face of her former school rival and taunted her over the death of one of her sons as they exchanged curses. She could have easily overpowered the blood traitor but Bella couldn't resist trying to show her up one last time, just like she used to in her years at Hogwarts as she danced and laughed between spells. But then… The unthinkable happened, Mrs Weasley sent a powerful curse, one that Bellatrix could have easily blocked and attempted to, but her _replacement_ wand had had enough and misfired. Her shield failed to manifest and the curse struck her chest, directly above her heart.

The world froze around her and her eyes bulged, unbearable pain ripped through her heart and her lungs seemed to burn as if engulfed by a fire burning under her skin. Her strength fled her body and Bella's legs gave way causing her to topple. The last thing she heard as she hit the floor was the triumphant cheers of the Order and the fury of her Master, her eyes fixed on the enchanted sky of the Great Hall as her orbs dimmed and her life began to fade.

* * *

><p><strong>(Present Day)<strong>

The murmur of voices woke Bellatrix back up, as before she struggled to open her eyes and this time she chose to keep them closed. Instead she focused on the approaching voices and the opening of a door, half of it sounded like a buzzing noise and she found it difficult to tell who the voices belonged to.

"Why are you here? She won't want you here! I don't want you here! Nothing's changed, I've not forgiven you and she most defiantly hasn't!" One of the voices said, it belonged to a female that much Bellatrix could tell but other than that she could only guess. '_Cissy?'_

"Despite what you two think, she's still my sister. I can't turn my back on her when she's in this state." The second voice was also female; it came through her ears distorted by the buzzing… But the way she referred to her… '_I'm sure she said… Still my sister… If the other voice is Cissy then this has to be… Andromeda!'_ Bellatrix wanted to scream and shout but her throat constricted, instead she made a gurgle that was barely audible. "And everything has changed. Your involvement in the end… If… No, when… She finds out… Do you honestly think she'll still call you sister after? I can tell you now, she won't and you know it. She'll think of you the same way she thinks of me!" '_What's that meant to mean! Cissy could never be a blood traitor like you Andy!'_

Bellatrix waited for Cissy's retort, but one never came… Instead a silence filled the room, and that lack of response scared Bella. "What did the healers say?" Narcissa finally spoke again.

"She's recovering fast and can wake at any moment. But her heart will be fragile for a while; they are still amazed she survived." Andromeda replied and footsteps rang in her ears as the sisters got closer.

"I'm guessing the Ministry already knows she's better? I saw a lot of Aurors hanging around." Bellatrix's hearing must have started to clear up slightly and she heard the concern in her little sister's voice. '_What the hell are they talking about?'_

"Yes they were arguing with the Healers earlier. Now that she's stable they want her shipped to Azkaban right away, but the Healers are insisting she still needs a few weeks to recover fully." The mention of the wizarding prison sent a cold chill down Bellatrix's spine and her sister's words did nothing to unravel her confusion. The only rational reason that crossed her mind was that the Dark Lord was punishing her for something, '_Maybe he's ashamed at me for losing to that red headed bitch… But that wasn't my fault!'_ And that didn't even begin to explain why her treacherous sister was here and walking around so freely. '_Where ever here is…'_

"She's in no condition to be moved! Are they trying to kill her?" Bellatrix gave up trying to work out what was going on, her head was throbbing painfully so she just laid and listened.

"I wouldn't be surprised if they were, if they had their way last week, they would have killed her there and then. You saw what they were like after Voldemort was defeated." '_The Dark Lord defeated?! NO!'_

Bellatrix's heart skipped a beat, which sent a jolt of pain through her as that lie filled her ears and finally, she found her voice as she screamed out in denial, her eyes snapping open. "NO! YOU LIE!"

"She's awake! Bella?" Cissy squealed out and sounded relieved, her footsteps came closer.

"Cissy?"

"It's ok Bella… I'm here." Narcissa's head appeared in the corner of her vision and Bellatrix tried to sit up, only to find she was being held down by some unseen magical restraints. She let out a low growl and instead turned her head to her baby sister and gave her a slight smile, before her eyes wandered over to the blood traitor, still standing close to the doors.

"Get. Out!" She hissed dangerously low.

"I'm not going anywhere Bella." Andromeda said calmly, she neither moved closer nor further away from her older sister.

"Don't! Call me that! You lost that right long ago! Now… Get out! GET OUT, GET OUT, GET OUT!" She screeched as loud as she could till her throat threatened to tear open, her voice quickly was reduced to a blend of coughing and spluttering. A soft hand belonging to her little sister, snaked its way into one of hers and squeezed it gently.

"Andy… Please… You said yourself, her heart's fragile… She can't get worked up like this." Narcissa turned to look at her other sibling, her expression was, for whatever reason, surprising passive.

Bellatrix stared at Andromeda with a dark glare; her breathing was laboured as she tried to gather her voice for another volley of screaming. "Ok, I'll be outside." Andromeda said with a sigh and nodded to Narcissa, which she replied to with one of her own. Her disowned sibling gave her one more inquisitive glance then left through the double doors.

The second Andromeda left the room Bellatrix started firing questions at the little sister until her voice went hoarse. "Cissy! What's going on? Where am I? What happened to the Dark Lord? Why am I tied down to this bed and why… Why was _she _here?"

"Bella please, calm down. You need to take it easy." Narcissa spoke quietly and her other hand came up and covered Bella's. "You were badly injured in the battle at Hogwarts… You took a strong curse to the chest, to the heart… I thought I lost you Bella!" Bellatrix softened slightly as Cissy started to sob, wishing she could sit up and awkwardly comfort and reassure her sister. Usually Bellatrix couldn't tolerate crying, unless of course she was the one to cause the tears… Except when it was Cissy who was shedding them, she always had a way of finding that soft part in Bellatrix's heart.

Being tied down made it difficult for Bellatrix to show one of her rare bouts of affection, so instead she gave her sister a small smile with soft eyes, her fingers gently caressed Cissy's hand."Shh now Cissy, it will take more than that feeble excuse for a witch to put me down for good… Now, what's happened? Where is the Dark Lord?"

"Bella… Please. It doesn't matter right now; you need to take it easy."

"Cissy! Just tell me!"

Narcissa studied her face then sighed before starting to fill her in one what happened after she fell in battle. How Potter defeated and killed the Dark Lord, which Bellatrix immediately voiced her rage and was adamant it was a lie. It wasn't till Narcissa showed Bellatrix her faded Dark Mark which had been covered up, and a memory of Voldemort falling, which she witnessed herself, did Bellatrix accept it. But her acceptance didn't mean her silence; as she shirked with rage and grief at the top of her lungs until once again she was reduced to a serious coughing fit. The doors opened and a woman in a lime green robe stepped in, the healer began to move over to Bellatrix's side but the dark witch warned her away with her eyes and instead she hanged around to observe her patient.

When Bellatrix eventually calmed down, albeit only slightly, she demanded for Narcissa to keep going. Her sister told her of the incident in the Great Hall, where some wanted her to be left to die, but the mudblood Granger, herself and Andromeda stood in the way. Bellatrix couldn't help but be shocked at that unlikely trio coming to her aid; she understood why Narcissa did so and maybe why her fool of a blood traitor sister did… But her mind couldn't work out why the hell the mudblood had. Cissy then went on to break the news that Bella was being held prisoner in St. Mungo's, in a private secure room until she was fit enough to be sent straight back to Azkaban without trial. As for Andromeda's presence, Cissy seemed to avoid the subject and said she didn't really know.

Bellatrix didn't speak for a while; her eyes left her sisters gaze and stared up at the ceiling. It was a rare thing for her to be at a loss for words but her tongue was as tied as her mind was muddled '_This can't be happening! It was going so well… We had practically won!'_ She needed to find something to focus on, something simple while her mind untangled the distressing barrage of information. So she began to take in her surroundings and the first thing her eyes focused on was, a disturbingly dull and plain white ceiling with a dark iron ring hanging from it with four copper lamps attached. Her eyes moved to where the ceiling ended, a single row of small black glazed tiles formed the top of her room's walls, her eyes followed one of the walls down, the top half was the same dull white colour as the ceiling with lamps spaced out at equal lengths. '_No windows… Even in Azkaban I had a window…'_

The bottom half was made up of the same glazed black tiles, patterns had been curved into the surface, images drawn in white depicting the hallmark of St. Mungo's. Apart from her bed, the only other thing to take up the space in her room was a small dark wooden desk which the healer was sitting at, scribbling away with a quill. Her eyes moved along to the dull metal reinforced double doors with small windows embedded in them, they served as the only entrance to her medical prison. The sight of wild light brown hair through the window prompted a question to her mind.

"What did _she_ mean?" She finally asked with a hiss.

"_She_? You mean…?" Cissy followed her sister's eyes and saw the faint image of Andromeda out the windows in the door. "What do you mean?"

"_Your involvement in the end…_ _She_ seemed to think you did something that I wouldn't be very happy with… Something that would stop me calling you my sister… What did she mean?" Bellatrix's eyes narrowed on Cissy, studying her expression.

"I don't know what she meant…" She replied quietly but despite how hard she must have been trying to keep her face neutral, the colour in her cheeks betrayed her as it faded and gave her a deathly pale and horrified look.

"Don't lie to me Cissy! You didn't deny it! You know what she meant!" The dark witch snapped, even if she had the strength to utilise Legilimency, she wouldn't have needed it, it was clear to her that Cissy was hiding something.

"I…"

"What. Did. You. Do?" Bellatrix could feel what little patience she had beginning to wear thin.

"I lied…" Narcissa quickly dropped her gaze and stared at her hands, still holding onto her eldest sister. "During the battle I…"

"You lied…?" Bellatrix repeated but Narcissa didn't answer. Her mind quickly began racing through the events that Cissy had been a part of in the final battle; the image of Narcissa kneeling over Potter's body became clear in her mind. Her eyes widened as she made the connection and it suddenly dawned on her what had happened. "When the Dark Lord asked you if the boy was dead… You lied… Why!?" She gritted her teeth and pulled her hand away from Cissy's sharply, clenching them both into fists.

"I had to… I had to do what was best for Draco! For our family!" Tears started to fall from the blonde's blue eyes. '_Your tears won't work this time… How could you!'_

"So you betrayed us… You betrayed the Dark Lord… Betrayed _me!_" She gave her sister a dark hurt look then turned her head away, her eyes focusing firmly on the black tiles of the wall.

"Bella… Please… I'm sorry… I had too, please Bella… Please understand." The pleading voice of her little sister made Bellatrix cringe, her nails digging deep into her palms, refusing to allow herself to show any sort of compassion or understanding.

"_She _was right… You are no sister of mine…" Bellatrix felt as if her heart had just been run through with a sharp blade, the words coming from her mouth hurt her more then she cared to admit.

"Bella… No…"

"Get out! GET OUT!" Bellatrix's eyes snapped shut, hoping that pressing her eyelids tightly together would hold back the tears that threatened to spill. "I don't want to ever see you again! Now go! Go and take the other blood traitor with you, you belong together!"

"Please Bella! I'm you're sister!" She didn't need to look at Cissy to know she was sobbing her heart out as she spoke.

"I have no sisters… They are both dead to me…" Bella whispered quietly in a flat tone, her now ex-sister's sobbing increased followed by the sound of hurried footsteps retreating and the swinging of the double doors as Cissy burst through them. Bellatrix was thankful Cissy left when she did, or she might have caught a glimpse of Bella's own tears falling down her cheek.

* * *

><p>(<strong>5 Days Later)<strong>

The Auror's didn't get their wish to ship her immediately of too Azkaban, but neither did the Healers in charge of her care get the couple extra weeks. Instead they reached a compromise and settled on five extra days as well as the odd visit from a Mediwizard to check her condition over the course of a few weeks.

She had been abruptly and rudely woken up, pushed around by Healers and Aurors all morning as they prepped her for transport on the fifth day. They were careless in their rush and she managed to kick one of the male Aurors full pelt in the crotch before they had restrained her legs. She laughed manically, feeling a bit like her old self before a stunning spell hit her.

She came around later restrained to a hard wooden chair in a dank office, she was sat opposite a middle aged man with a dark desk taking up the space between them. He had medium length dirty blonde hair with a trim shaven blonde beard to match; his eyes were brown and although hard, seemed to be masking a pained glint. Deep wrinkle lines etched around them gave her the impression that this man had had little sleep recently; it was a look she knew well… Mainly because she had caused it often enough, but this man was grieving over someone. Bellatrix shrugged then let out a bored yawn upon seeing the two pairs of Aurors either side of her, all with their wands pointed at her.

"There's no point me saying, it's nice to see you awake. We both know that would be a lie, wouldn't we Mrs Lestrange." The man opposite her said.

"Mmm, like me saying, let me out of these restraints and I won't hurt you." She growled, and then smirked as one of the younger Auror's tightened his grip on his wand.

"Quite. I trust you know where you are?"

"Ohhh let me guess! I'm a VIP at a show where Mudbloods have to fight for survival with their bare hands against a pair of dragons?" Bellatrix cackled with a hopeful glint in her eyes.

"Shut your mouth!" The younger Auror said, his wand getting closer to the side of her neck.

"Ohhh that's no way to talk to your betters boy! Let me guess… You're a Mudblood?..." Bellatrix stared deep into the boy's eyes, sending her mind forward into the Aurors. '_Pathetic defences, he doesn't even know I'm here!'_ "Hmm no…"

"Enough, the pair of you!" The middle age man said with annoyance.

But Bellatrix ignored him and continued to probe the Auror's mind. "Ahh haha! You're girlfriend? Awww is your woman a filthy mudblood whore?" Her tone was gentle as she quietly whispered out the insult with a grin on her face.

"I said shut up!" The Auror whipped his wand and a cut burned across her cheek, but his actions just started Bellatrix off laughing.

He went to raise his wand again but the older man stopped him. "ENOUGH! Noel, wait outside please." Giving her a long hard glare, the Auror called Noel left the room, slamming the door behind her. "I see losing the war did nothing to diminish you're hateful views Mrs Lestrange, just as well you back here then… In Azkaban. I'm Head Warden Marcus Brown."

Bellatrix snorted. "Head Warden you say? Fancy title for someone with such a pitiful office." While being insulting, her remark did still ring true. The office they sat in just seemed to be an oversized cell with a desk and two chairs chucked in, in place of a bed.

"It's a temporary arrangement. However I'm sure it's a look you remember well… Take a good look; this will be the most _luxury you'll ever see again._ Since you're still processed from before, there's little reason to keep you here._"_ Marcus crackled a small smile. "Welcome back to Azkaban Mrs Lestrange."

Before Bellatrix could make a witty comment, Marcus nodded his head at one of the Aurors and Bellatrix faded out of consciousness.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** I hope you enjoyed Bellatrix's opening chapter in this story :) Chapter 3 will pick up from the ending of both this chapter and the last ^^ How will they both react to seeing who they have a cell near :P Stay tuned :) and i'll update soon.


	3. Chapter 3: Waking Nightmare

**A/N:** Thank you for your continued support 3 Just a quick note, Bellatrix referring to the Weasley's in CH2, as Weasels wasn't a typo neither was Bella referring to Longbottom as Fatbottom. Just Bella being Bella

**Disclaimer:** The world of Harry Potter and the original storyline are not mine; they belong to J.K. Rowling.

Read, review and most of all… Enjoy!

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><p><strong>Chapter 3: Waking Nightmare<strong>

**Hermione**

Over the crashing of the waves below, Hermione found herself being woken up upon hearing a faint voice and small peculiar noises in the back of her mind. Too exhausted from a lack of a good night's sleep she didn't bother to look around and check for the source, she doubted very much it was real and that her mind was more than likely playing tricks on her. Hermione pulled the blanket tighter around her in a vain attempt to fight of the icy cold belonging to the North Sea, and then tried to get back to sleep.

But the voice didn't cease. Hermione tried desperately hard not to turn over and look, if she looked and it turned out to be nothing, yet again, she would have to face that fact that she might be starting to lose it. Another sound came, the sound of heavy footsteps approaching and then a much clearer and louder voice as the footsteps grew closer. "Is it ready?" A deep male voice asked.

"I'm just finishing adding the last of the wards and charms." A quieter male voice came, much closer than the other voice. '_Coming from outside of my cell?'_

Silently and slowly, Hermione eased herself from lying on her side facing the wall, turning until she laid on her other side so she could see out of her cell. She could tell from the faint orangey glow that the lamps in the corridor were lit, despite it being past _lights out._ A male guard of average height with dark brown hair, wearing a set of dark navy blue robes stood with his back to her, his wand was drawn, aimed at the cell opposite her and was moving elegantly through the air.

A man and a woman in brown trench coats, which Hermione instantly recognised as Aurors, came into view next with their wands drawn, the tips lit to provide a better source of light. The male Auror was a short middle aged stocky man with dull brown hair marked with numerous grey strands, while the female was much taller and younger than her companion, towering over him with short platinum blonde hair. They stood silently by the man in navy robes until he turned and gave them a nod, lowering his wand as he did so.

One of the Auror's flicked his wrist at the cell opposite; the gate became more defined as it separated from the bars it was fused into, the hinges and lock came into existence and once fully formed, the other Auror approached and unlocked the cell. "Bring her." Said the Auror who had made the gate materialise. '_Her? Who's her?'_

Hermione heard another set of footsteps approach, but it wasn't the person that was walking that caught her breath, it was the woman in prisoner garbs who was being levitated and guided into the cell by a younger man. Hermione's eyes fixed on the only aspect of the floating woman that she could see from the awkward angle she was laying. '_Long hair… Long black hair… Long wild thick black curly hair… No no no! It's her!'_ That head of hair was unmistakeable; she had seen it in her dreams attached to a certain dark witch way too often. '_Relax Hermione, just… Relax… Maybe… Maybe it's someone else…'_

Hermione watched and bleakly hoped as the woman was lowered down onto the bed, being placed on her back. The Auror stepped back from the sleeping woman; Hermione gasped sharply as his wand lit up the woman's face, highlighting the pale gaunt yet beautifully defined face of the Death Eater, Bellatrix Lestrange.

"No!" Hermione yelled as she sat up, all four sets of eyes turned on her, the older male Auror in the corridor pointed his wand into her cell, casting the bright white light over Hermione. "Please, not her! Not there!"

"Silence prisoner!" The Auror in Bellatrix's cell snapped.

"Mr Robinson, show the girl some respect. That's Hermione Granger, I'm sure you are aware of who she is?" The guard in the navy robes spoke up.

"Miss Granger? _The_ Miss Granger? Part of the Golden Trio who took down You-know-who?" The Auror replied surprised.

"The very same, and for Merlin's sake... Use his damn name." The guard sighed at the younger Auror then turned to give her a small smile.

"What's she doing here?!" The woman asked in a very surprised tone, the shook clear on her face. '_Clearly Kingsley is doing very well at keeping this secret if even the Auror's aren't aware.'_

The guard seemed to contemplate best how to answer her question before sighing and shaking his head. "It's… Complicated… Head Warden Brown will be able to elaborate when I escort you back to his office." The younger man left Bellatrix's cell and sealed it behind him, while the man in navy robes continued to regard her. "How are you feeling Miss Granger?"

Hermione blinked in surprise, it was the first time since arriving that anyone had said more than two words to her, let alone asked her how she felt. It was a simple question, but one that made her eyes sting. "Tired…" She said hesitantly, then paused for a second, if this guard was engaging her in conversation she wanted to make the most of it and asked about the first thing that came to mind, her friends. "Do you know… How Ron and Harry are?" Hermione's voice came across more desperate than she had intended but she figured if he knew who she was then he more than likely knew them too.

"As far as I know they are doing as well as can be expected. They are getting more than their fair share of verbal abuse, but they are giving as good as they get."

Hermione found herself smirking slightly. "I wouldn't have expected anything less from them... And how about things on the outside?" Again, without meaning to, Hermione's questioned tumbled out rapidly from her lips with, betraying how desperate she was for some sort of social interaction. '_Sane and civil social interaction that is... I'm sure I'll be getting plenty of not so pleasant social interaction soon enough.'_ Her eyes flickered to Bellatrix.

The guard's eyebrow rose in bewilderment, apparently picking up on her desperation. "Has no one been to seen you since you arrived?" Hermione shook her head. '_Has Ron and Harry had visitors…? And if so… How come no one has come to see me?'_ "Hmm I'll have to see Head Warden Brown about that, as for things on the outside… Well, the wizarding community has a long road ahead of them, the celebrations have died down and everyone's in a state of mourning with services for the fallen running daily." There was a brief moment silence, the war had touched everyone's life and in some way, everyone had lost someone. "Is there anyone on the outside you'd like to visit? I'm sure the Minister will allow it for you."

"No… Wait, yes. A friend, an Auror called Nymphadora Tonks if she's recovered enough from her injuries yet." The thought of seeing a familiar friendly face gave her eyes a hopeful glint.

"Nymph? I visited her in St. Mungo's a few days ago. She was awake and very restless , pouting over having to be confined to bed" The female Auror giggled slightly and Hermione felt a surge of jealousy at the use of the pet name she used to use for Tonks when they were alone and _together._

"She's been asking after you, she seemed worried. All Kingsley's said is that you three have gone to have some time away from the public eye." The blonde looked around at the cell and frowned. '_She's been asking for me?'_ "Abit too literal for my liking… But she'll be glad to see you I'm sure. She's cut up about losing her husband and I'm sure she'd appreciate talking to a close friend." The reminder of Remus's death filled her stomach with a deep sense of guilt and disgust at herself.

"I'll see what I can do." The guard said as he gave the Auror a short nod them a glancing smile at Hermione.

Hermione gave a small smile in return. "Thank you Mr…?"

"Ah forgive me. It's Harrington, Oswin Harrington Deputy Head Warden for the South-East point of Azkaban... It's err… Quite a mouthful so you may call me Oswin Miss Granger." Oswin chuckled, ignoring the eye-rolling his Auror companions were doing.

"Thank you Oswin, and please call me Hermione."

"Alright then Hermione."

A deep laboured breath from Bellatrix's cell reminded Hermione why Oswin and the Auror's were here in the first place. Her eyes moved to the sleeping figure of the dark witch, although in the faint light it was hard to tell if the witch was still sleeping or not. "I… I don't mean to… Interfere… But can't _she_ be placed somewhere else? Please…"

The small faded from Oswin's face as he turned his head to regard Bellatrix. Hermione felt the small bit of hope she had been clinging to, plummet, it was clear from the look now occupying his face what the answer was. "I'm sorry Hermione, but this is where we've been instructed to put her… It was… Well seeing as you're surprised I guess you weren't told… But it was one of _their_ demands." A dark frown shadowed Oswin's eyes, '_Their? The Goblin's?'_

"Why? Why would they do this?" She barely understood why the Goblin's wanted the trio's imprisonment in the first place, she knew why she went along with it, but why they wanted it in the first place? '_Surely they don't truly blame us for all those deaths at Gringotts?'_ And now this? Demanding for Bellatrix Lestrange to be placed opposite her? '_What are they playing it…'_

"Why would they do any of this in the first place? I really don't know… I know this might be hard on you-"

"Might? She's the one who gave me this…" Hermione snapped as she jumped to her feet, getting close to the bars. She craned her head back and traced the scar on her neck and then pulled up her sleeve sharply, revealing the word that would forever be etched into her flesh '_Mudblood'_ "And this!"

"I'm sorry… I know it's only a small comfort, but she won't be able to hurt you… And with luck you'll be out of here real soon." Oswin gave her a grim smile and gestured for the Aurors to start making a move. '_She can't hurt me physical no… But mentally… I'm not sure which is worst coming from her…'_ "Try and get some sleep Hermione, I can't guarantee you'll get much once she awakens." He frowned and gave her a last sombre look then left with the Aurors, the lights slowly dimming until she was left in darkness again.

"Yeah… Sleep… I don't that will be coming to me anytime soon…" Hermione muttered to herself, turning on her heels with a sigh she drudged herself back over to her bed.

She sat in the corner on her bed, her knees pulled up to her chest with the blanket wrapped around her. She rested the side of her head on her knees and watched her new neighbour sleep, although the lamps had been turned out, the moonlight coming through the grate in her wall reached far enough to illuminate Bellatrix somewhat. Hermione wasn't too sure why she was staring at her tormentor rather than trying to get back to sleep, perhaps it was down to the past ten days of near solitude that made the sight of other human beings almost alluring, even if this one was Bellatrix Lestrange.

'_Strange… She looks… Peaceful, almost.' _Hermione scoffed at the though, the idea of the Death Eater ever looking somewhat calm and normal was absurd. Despite this state of tranquillity being achieved only because the dark witch was asleep, Hermione for some reason had always believed that Bellatrix would have looked as demented when she was asleep as when she was awake. That even in her dreams she was a sadistic and hateful bitch, torturing, maiming and killing innocent people for the sheer _thrill _of it, and that it would have reflected on her face… Not that Hermione often thought about Bellatrix sleeping. Her mind couldn't help but wonder what the dark witch could possibly be dreaming about.

The sleeping form of Bellatrix took in a sharp breath and Hermione froze as the dark witch threatened to wake up. She watched as Bellatrix's face twisted with pain, her brow and nose crinkled up while her lips trembled and pressed tightly together, another sharp gasp forced its way from her lips before her features then slowly began to relax. '_I guess she's still in some pain from the battle.'_ Hermione thought as she watched her slip back into a state of serenity and then something she couldn't quite make out rose in the pits of her stomach. '_Sympathy? No… No that can't be right, must have been hunger pains… Or something… Anything but Sympathy for… Her.'_

Hermione sighed. '_What am I doing? What's wrong with me? Staring at her rather than trying to get some sleep… Admiring her sleeping form and having foreign feelings for… Ugh.' _She shook her head and lent back, her head coming to rest against the wall. '_I'll clear my mind and go back to sleep… This is what happens when you barely get any sleep for ten days then get woken up when you finally get some…'_ She closed her eyes as she began to pace her breathing, pushing out all distracting and irritating thoughts from her mind, primarily ones to do with her new neighbour.

Once she was satisfied she was in a good place mentally, Hermione opened her eyes and allowed herself to slide down onto her back. She let out a small yawn and arched her back before adjusting her blanket, despite herself, she spared the sleeping figure one last glance… But what she saw was a pair of large dark orbs staring right back at her. '_…Fuck.'_

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><p><strong>Bellatrix<strong>

"You!" Bellatrix hissed out as she met the gaze of the girl who occupied the cell opposite her, _Hermione Granger. _Bella pulled a disgusted face and hoped the light was poor enough to mask her confusion. '_What's she doing here!'_

She had woken when a surge of pain had shot through her heart, but that wasn't the reason why Bellatrix's heart was now racing; she had felt something else… She had always been beautiful, especially when she was younger, so she was used to people looking and staring at her for some reason. And after years of service to the Dark Lord and serving her sentence in Azkaban, her senses had been sharpened to a fine point; she could tell when eyes were on her and this girl's eyes had most definitely been lingering long before their gazes had met.

The mudblood had yet to speak and just stared back in shock, clearly she hadn't planned on being caught staring at her. "What are you doing here muddy?" She hissed again as she slowly sat up on her bed, her gaze didn't drop from the girl's once. Bellatrix let out a low impatient growl when the girl didn't answer right away. "Well? Answer me!"

The girl shook her head rapidly. "N… No… It's none of your business!" The girl's defiance was mired with hesitation and fear which brought a smile to Bellatrix's lips. '_This girl remembers that day as clearly as I do.'_

"Oh? Has muddy forgotten her lesson already? Forgotten what happens when you refuse to answer my questions?" Bellatrix swung her legs of the bed and got to her feet, she was held back momentarily by an aching spasm in her chest. Adjusting her clothes slightly after the pain dulled, she slinked over to the bars in a predatory manner and pressed her face up against them to get a better look at the young witch. To her satisfaction the mudblood had tried to put some extra distance between them, only to find she was already up against the wall. A brief look of irrational panic filled her face, then she seemed to realise that Bellatrix was incapable of getting any closer, her face and body relaxed marginally but the fear lingered in her eyes.

"I… I'm not… Not afraid of you. You can't hurt me here." The girl held her head high as she spoke, her voice wavered at first then became more firm and defiant, her knuckles turning white as her hands clenched firmly. Bellatrix grinned then let her gaze drop to her hands as they moved slowly up and down the bars, her cheek then came to rest against the cold iron.

"Oh my pet, there's no point lying to me. I can see you're fear… I can smell it." Bellatrix spoke softly as she continued to study the bars; she inhaled deeply then allowed her eyes to snap back up to meet the brunettes gaze, then licked her lips slowly. "I must admit, you smell delicious when scared…" Her words made the young witch shudder. "But you didn't answer me Muddy, have you forgotten your lesson?"

Hermione didn't answer right away, nor did Bellatrix feel the need to demand an answer out of her, she could see the girl clenching her jaw as she thought about how to reply. "There's nothing I could ever learn from the _likes _of you!"

Bellatrix blinked, surprised for a split second at the venom in the girls tone then started to cackle, she cocked her head to the side and smirked as she noticed how the girl was gripping her forearm. "Gripping it won't make it disappear mudblood… Like I told you then… It's _permanent…_ Can't have you forgetting your place now can we my pet?"

The girl jumped up from her bed and moved to the bars, tears began to glisten in her eyes. '_Well aren't you a brave little lion.' _"I am not your pet!" Hermione hissed.

"Oh but you are. You bare my mark." Bella's eyes drifted down to the girl's covered forearm and grinned. "You'll always be my _possession_. No matter how many weasels you whore yourself out to…" Her gaze came back up to meet the mudbloods and smiled innocently. "I'll always be with you, whenever you close your eyes and feel their dead weight on you, I'll be the one you see."

The young witch was shaking with rage, or fear, or perhaps both, she slammed her hands against the bars. "Shut up! You vile bitch!"

"Ohh what a filthy tongue, goes well with your filthy blood mudwhore. Tell me muddy, how many of the weasel's beds do you warm? Do you cater to the whole family? Even the bitches?" Bellatrix sneered at the brunette. '_That's all a mudblood is good for! Whoring!' _Bella's face remained unfazed when her heart twinged with the faint reminder of heartbreak.

"I'm not like you!" Hermione spat out and as soon as the words left her mouth, her stance changed and she stepped back slightly, as if she hadn't meant to say that out loud.

Bellatrix snarled and her eyes narrowed on the witch opposite her. "And what… Is that… Meant to mean!" She hissed out slowly with a chilling tone.

"N… Nothing…" The girl stepped back further away from the bars as she stuttered slightly.

"Out with it filth!" Bellatrix snapped, but the girl just broke away from her gaze, staring at the wall as she shifted about uneasily. "Pathetic! And here I was beginning to think maybe you had some fire in you… But no, you're just a muddy scaredy cat Gryffindor! How did a _coward_ manage to get into the supposedly _noble_ and _brave_ house of Gryffindor anyway?"

That got Hermione's attention, Bellatrix mused as the brunettes head snapped in her direction. "I'm not a coward… And you're… You're the whore!"

"Excuse me?"

The girl took a few steps closer back to the bars as she seemed to muster that infamous and highly nauseating _Gryffindor _courage. "How many of _Voldemort's_ followers did you slip into bed with? How many of them were rebounds when your master kicked you out of _his?" _Bellatrix's eyes grew as wide and dark as bludgers, shaking with rage as the girl continued to move closer and insult her. "You dress… Or I should say, DRESSED like a slut and was surrounded by men all day and night long! And you have the audacity to call me the whore? You really are demented!" Hermione let out a sharp short laugh and glared at Bellatrix with a smug smirk.

"You dare…. YOU DARE MOCK ME? MOCK THE DARK LORD!?" Bellatrix shrieked out in rage loud enough to cause ringing in her own ears. Her hand shot out through the bars with uncanny speed towards the young witch, making the mudblood jump back despite Bellatrix's outstretched arm coming not even close. "I'll make you eat those words muddy! Mark my words I'll cut out your filthy tongue and feed you it before I kill you!" Bellatrix slammed her shoulder into the bar's ignoring the pain that shot through her as she reached out as far as humanly possible, her hands clenching at thin air, gritting her teeth as she hissed.

"Don't like it so much when the tables are turned do you!" Hermione spoke a little quieter as she lost her verbal momentum, her bravery starting to slip away.

Bella snorted and pulled her arm in, she then began to pace up and down along the bars, like a predator stalking its prey, her eyes never leaving the brunettes as she growled and hissed. "There are no tables muddy! Only a person's rightful place! You are dirt! Filth! Your place in your pathetic life is to be down on your hands and knees in the mud before your betters! Your superiors! I.e ME!"

Hermione's gaze broke away from Bella's. "Don't remind me… I already know how much you enjoy me under you…" She muttered to herself as she thought out loud, but Bellatrix caught part of it.

She stopped pacing and stood in the shadows in her cell, her face masked by darkness as she watched the brunette with a murderous gaze. "What was that?! Speak up muddy!"

"I said! I already know how much you enjoy me under you! I felt you that day! I felt how… How… Ugh… How aroused you were when you were straddling me!" The brunette pulled a repulsed face as she spoke.

Bellatrix didn't know what to say to that, she wanted to deny it, call the girl all the names under the moon that she'd associate with one of her blood status. But her tongue became knotted; in actually fact the girl was right, sort of… '_As if SHE personally was the reason I was somewhat aroused…' "_Aww poor little confused girl… I don't know how long you been here, but it couldn't have been more than 2 weeks… And yet you're already been driven senseless… Just goes to show how _weak_ mudbloods are!" Bella laughed, her attempt at mocking covering up the small sense of doubt burning within at her own words. '_Humph! Smouldering embers of something I wrongly felt years ago… Nothing else! Fucking mudblood… Why does she have to look so similar! As if I need the reminder!'_

"I wish that were true…" Hermione said quietly then turned towards her bad, without saying another word or even giving Bella a second glance, she slipped into her bed and faced the wall.

"How dare you turn your back on me! I'm not finished with you muddy!" Bellatrix shouted, her anger being renewed by the nerve of the girl, but she didn't answer or move. _'I'll be damned if that girl gets the final word AND THEN! Gets some sleep!'_ Bellatrix had slept away most the day and sleep was the last thing her body craved, so instead she spent the rest of the night howling abuse at the girl opposite her.

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><p><strong>AN: **Hope you enjoyed chapter 3 ^_^ How did you like the first interaction between Hermione and Bellatrix? Reviews are much appricated ^^ I'll update soon!


	4. Chapter 4: Blushing Betrayals

**A/N:** Hello all I'm back! First of I apologise for my absence, between moving house and settling into my new job I haven't had much time to write, but I'm back now :) Thank you all for support so far and I hope you enjoy the latest chapter ^^ It is mostly filler building up to future chapters so I apologise again if it's a little slow. Also I don't have a beta so all mistakes are my own, I do triple check but I will miss stuff, I hope they don't ruin the story too much for you and if you notice any feel free to tell me :).

**Disclaimer:** The world of Harry Potter and the original storyline are not mine; they belong to J.K. Rowling.

Read, review and most of all… Enjoy!

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><p><strong>Chapter 4: Blushing Betrayals<strong>

**Hermione**

Hermione woke feeling surprisingly refreshed the following morning, she let out a long yawn then wiped the sleep from her eyes with the back of her hand as a smile graced the corner of her lips. Hermione couldn't recall the last time she had slept so well, while on the run with Harry and Ron sleep had been one of many luxuries that had been in short supply. They used to have to take it in turns to stay awake and keep watch just in case something came up and more often than not, Hermione had to take over Ron's shifts as he couldn't be trusted to stay awake. And when it was her turn to sleep, she rarely did, her mind would dwell on her friends, her family, on everyone, as she worried all night long. Even when the war had ended there was too much work to do to just sleep away precious time, _'Perhaps I should have seized the opportunity then, if I had known what was to come…'_ And then there had been her nights in Azkaban, the eerie silence had been so… Loud, the solitude so unnerving, it had been maddening.

But the silence had ended last night, the solitude revoked. The sole cause for her good night sleep was laying just a mere few feet away from her, the sleeping form of the torturer and murderer, Bellatrix Lestrange. Hermione shifted in her bed and lay on her side as she looked into the cell opposite her, capturing the very image of the Death Eater in her brown orbs. Hermione had been terrified during their little joust, she lost her calm composure and allowed the dark witch to get to her, words had fell from her lips that never in her wildest dreams she would have said almost literally to Bellatrix's face.

Hermione gulped slightly as her own words replayed in her head, an image of how angry Bellatrix had been flashed in her mind. '_She won't forget that… But she can't physically get to me, I may be only a few feet away but I'm safe.' _She wondered if Bellatrix knew how afraid she was, or if she was too busy raging to notice her shaking body and sweating brow. When the exchange began to flow into even more uncomfortable and dangerous ground, she abandoned the harsh banter and retreated to her bed where she huddled under her blankets and faced the wall. A little yawn had slipped from her lips, drowned out by Bellatrix's shrieking as sleep began to approach. Bellatrix's screaming, her shrieking, her barrage of vicious slurs had served Hermione as a very twisted and insane lullaby. The fact that her tormentor, the star of her nightmares, was able to lullaby Hermione to sleep with her hate was as laughable as it was insane. '_I guess Azkaban doesn't need the Dementors to drive people crazy…'_

With another yawn, she arched her back and stretched out her arms as she then sat up, pulling the blankets around her. Sunlight was pouring through the grate in her wall, a rare occurrence for the prison stuck in the middle of the North Sea, it illuminated her cell and stretched into Bellatrix's, encasing the older witch in a warm glow. '_Very deceiving, there's nothing warm about that woman.'_

Hermione's hand moved over her stomach as it let out a low rumble, the sound of footsteps echoing down the hallway then followed. '_Good timing, breakfast.'_ Hermione thought with a smile as the low hum of lights coming into existence accompanied the footsteps. She let the blankets fall from her as she swung her legs off the bed and stood up; adjusting her garbs trying to look as smart and dignified as one possibly could in the prisoner attire.

Sure enough a black haired male guard in dark navy blue robes came into view in front of her cell just after the lights in her cell and in the hallway came on. Two trays were levitating besides him; both with a bowl of what doubtfully would be another serving of something grey and lumpy and a few crusty bits of bread. Hermione stepped forward towards the bars and smiled at the guard. "Good morning."

The guard just responded with a grunt and whipped out his wand, with a flick of his wrist a section of the bars began to part until they were just wide enough for the tray to levitate through. Hermione took the tray, her stomach churned as the smells, dull and bland as they were, reached her nose. '_Just as I thought, grey and lumpy… How did I guess?' _She looked up from her breakfast and met the guard's gaze. "Thank you." She said politely, not allowing the guard's glum mood or his rudeness in refusing to acknowledge her, bring her down. '_I wonder why the guards_ _don't talk to me? Apart from Oswin.'_

The guard gave a stiff nod then closed the breach between her bars and then went on to do the same for Bellatrix, not bothering to wake her, he deposited the tray on her floor then went on his way after closing the gap. Hermione sighed then took her tray of food over to the bed and sat down on the edge where she then started to dip a chuck of crusty bread into her morning meal. She nibbled on the bread, savouring the non-existent taste as her mind pondered over the events of last night.

Between the shock of having Bellatrix as a neighbour, their harsh exchange and a good night's sleep, Hermione had barely had a chance to think on what Oswin and the Aurors had said. '_Oswin sounded shocked when he asked if no one had been to seen me, why would he ask that if prisoners… Or at least if I was allowed visitors? I can understand Mrs Weasley wanting to see if Ron was ok first, but surely someone would have thought to come see me after?' _The cruel thought that maybe she had been abandoned, forgotten, crept into the back of her mind. '_No… I'm sure there's a perfectly logical explanation, maybe they could only see one prisoner per visit and they are just waiting for their next visit to see me.'_

As Hermione took a mouthful of the grey lumpy mass, her mind then turned to the blonde Auror and the indirect promise of getting word out to Tonks. '_Least that was some good news, Tonks has pulled through and maybe she'll visit. The blonde Auror said…' _A sudden familiar sense of jealousy, guilt and shame knotted her up inside as the blonde Auror's giggling face flashed in her mind. _'She called her Nymph…' _Hermione dwelled on that for a fraction longer then shook her head vigorously, refusing to allow herself to speculate and jump to conclusions. '_Relax Hermione… Just relax, no need to add wild theories to the equation… Not when the reality is bad enough as it is.'_

Hermione paused from her meal to look up at her reality. Bellatrix was still fast asleep, Hermione couldn't get her head around just how normal and peaceful the Death Eater looked, her tranquil state masked all the hate and darkness that Hermione knew was shimming away under the surface. '_To look at her like this you'd never guess the evil she is capable of… Then again you probably wouldn't have guessed Voldemort to be the evil manipulative tyrant and oppressor that he was if you saw him fast asleep… Although Voldemort wasn't beautiful, unlike Bellatrix and…'_ She froze as the last words crossed her mind. '_I truly must be losing it… When have I ever thought her to be beautiful? She's not!'_

A frown formed across her brow as she thought that over, her eyes couldn't help but settle on the older witch's features, taking in Bellatrix not as a Death Eater, but as a woman, while her mind recalled images from that day at Malfoy Manor where Bellatrix had been up very close and personal. Bellatrix's defined face, her smooth pale skin and full red lips immediately sprang to mind, her thick dark eyebrows sat atop a pair of large dark orbs whose depth you could get lost in. Her thick dark hair which was more unruly then Hermione's own, that trailed down against her slender neck and over her firm shoulders. Although now missing, Hermione recalled the silver gothic styled crow skull pendant which would draw the eye and sat nestled comfortably between Bellatrix's large shapely… Hermione stopped her line of thought abruptly before she got too carried away and let out a sigh. '_I guess she is beautiful… In a twisted black rose sort of way.'_

It took Hermione a few seconds to realise that she had allowed her eyes to become fixated on the clear outline of the other witch's bosom, her eyes stalking the motion of her chest rising and falling as she breathed. Hermione felt her cheeks warm as she blushed and quickly dropped her gaze back down to her breakfast and continued to eat, hoping to quickly block out the latest distraction, the latest trick her mind was playing. '_Yes, a trick. No other explanation for it. Barely seen anyone for weeks, of course Bellatrix will be looking good right about now and… And… Shut up Hermione…'_

Hermione took a few mouthfuls and ate the remainder of her bread as she tried to turn her mind away from Bellatrix and the slightly inappropriate lines of thought that were frustratingly trying to make themselves known. As she finished the bowl and dwelled on the goblins and on how much longer she was going to be stuck here, she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand to attention and the uneasy feeling that she was watched forewarned her. Hermione closed her eyes and focused, there was only a few sounds going on around her so it was easy to concentrate on one in particular. Bellatrix's breathing had changed, that coupled with uneasy feelings suggested that the dark witch was now awake and that Hermione should prepare herself for the oncoming storm.

'_Ok relax Hermione… Don't let her see you afraid don't let her get to you and she'll get bored quickly… Hopefully.'_ Despite trying to calm herself and muster some courage, Hermione just sat on the edge of the bed looking down into her now empty bowl, fidgeting with her spoon, scraping it along the edge trying to make a sound to distract herself with. '_Oh this is ridiculous, I'm not going to hang my head all day and hide… If I don't let her get to me, what could possibly go wrong?'_ Taking a deep breath Hermione looked up and sure enough she met Bellatrix's gaze whose eyes were burning into her, filled with raw emotion that Hermione took a wild guess at being hate.

The dark witch was half laying on her side, half leaning forward, her body propped up by her elbow digging into the mattress as her palm provided support for her head. Lurking in the back of her mind was her previous line of thought, which pushed its way to the front of her mind as she took in Bellatrix's intense gaze. Hermione's eyes betrayed her and dropped to the older witch's cleavage which was peeking out from her prisoner garb as she leant forward, a warm blush crept up Hermione's cheeks. '_Oh… Crap.'_

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><p><strong>Bellatrix<strong>

Bellatrix stared intensely at Hermione, completely lost in thought and unaware that the younger witch had noticed and was meeting her gaze. '_Intelligence, beauty, love… Hate, deceit, betrayal… That and so much more, that is all I am reminded of when I look upon this mudblood's face. A face which is an exact copy of… Hers, the living doppelganger of that… That whore! Even now… Long after her death I am haunted with the image of her face in my dreams… And now I must face it when I'm awake too? Will I ever be free of her?'_ Bellatrix stiffened as a cold ethereal chill rippled down her spine, snapping her out of her troubling trance.

It took Bellatrix a few moments to realise that she was still staring at the brunette, and a few seconds longer still for it to register that the young witch was staring right back at her. The other witch looked flushed which Bellatrix found odd as the last thing Azkaban was, was warm. Another cold chill stuck her, this time across her chest which felt slightly uncovered; Bella's eyes dropped and gave her chest a short fleeting glance and noticed that her cleavage was on full display.

"Enjoying the morning view are you muddy?" Bellatrix said in a casual and seductive manner, the younger witch didn't reply and Bella's eyes didn't gaze up to see Hermione's reaction, instead she manoeuvred herself slightly so that more could be seen. A sly grin formed across her lips as she briefly admired her own assets, slowly Bellatrix's eyes moved up and looked through the curtain of unruly hair that had draped over her face. The brunette's face had become more flushed and she quickly looked away once she saw Bellatrix watching her. '_Interesting… A weakness for flesh, that may come in handy later.'_

Cackling to herself quietly, Bellatrix sat up straight and looked over to the tray of food on her floor. "I see the food hasn't changed." She said in a flat tone of voice, she swung her legs out of bed and moved slowly over to the tray, taking full care to sway her hips side to side with each step in the hope of further exploiting the mudblood's weakness. She did the same when she bent over to pick up the tray, taking plenty of time to give a good show, a quick peek at Hermione told her that her actions hadn't gone unnoticed as the brunette's cheeks continued to betray her.

Bellatrix wrinkled her nose in revulsion when she took in the scent of her morning meal. "I don't know what smells worst, this muck or your filthy blood mudblood." Bellatrix spat to the side then went over and sat on the edge of her bed as she started to eat; screwing her face up in disgust with every mouthful of the now cold gruel she took. Looking back up, Bellatrix saw the younger witch now sitting in the corner, her knees pulled up to her chest with her arms wrapped around them, looking away lost in thought at the wall.

"What's wrong little muddy? Cat got your tongue? I seem to remember you being much more vocal last night." She asked in the sweetest tone of voice she could muster as she placed the tray to one side. But Hermione didn't answer her, instead she kept her eyes fixed on the wall, Bellatrix growled lowly and dug her nails into her palms, clinging onto the small amount of restraint she had and tried again. "So since we're going to be _neighbours_, why are you here muddy? You know why I'm here, only fair I have the same courtesy." Bellatrix tried to sound as soft and genuine as she possibly could, although part of her was genuinely curious. '_First she saves my life, then I find her, one of the… Apparent saviours of the wizarding world, stuck in a place like this… She may be a filthy mudblood, but she's definitely somewhat intriguing.'_ "You may as well answer me mudblood, keeping to yourself here is a sure way to drive yourself insane. I should know."

But still Hermione didn't answer, all she did was give Bellatrix a small blank look before turning to look back at the wall, Bellatrix's nails dug further into her palms until the warm moist feel of blood began to trickle, then she felt the small amount of control she did haves, snap. "Filthy mudblood scum! Who do you think you are ignoring your superiors? If I ask you a question I want an answer! And one way or another I _always _get my answers." Bellatrix snapped with a tone full of malice and venom, her hand swept to the side and flung her tray against the bars, scattering the remaining contents across her floor and spilling over into the hall. "Insolent filthy little wretch!" She spat out before then moving to lie back down on her bed and started to gaze up at the ceiling.

"I'm paying the price for helping to save the wizarding world." The quiet voice of the brunette came from across the hall; Bellatrix blinked and turned her head to look over at Hermione who was now looking at her.

But before she could say anything else the sound of approaching footsteps echoing down the hallway drew near. A man wearing the dark navy robes of a prison guard came into view, he peered briefly into Bellatrix's cell and gave her a revolted look, then frowned at the mess she had caused. He whipped out his wand and cleared the mess, then with another flick both Bellatrix's and Hermione's tray vanished, he gave Bellatrix another fleeting glance then turned to face Hermione's cell who had got to her feet and approached the bars of her cell.

"Morning Oswin." The brunette said with a small smile.

"Good morning Miss Granger." The guard replied in a cheerful manner which was almost enough to make Bellatrix want to gag.

"Please, I said you could call me Hermione." Hermione said with amusement, her hand came up to her mouth to cover up a soft chuckle.

"Ah right yes, I forgot… Did you sleep well?"

"I did strangely enough, thanks… Erm you?"

Bellatrix snorted and rolled her eyes as she laid back down, leaving the mudblood and the ministry lapdog to their banter before their pleasantries and small talk made her want to vomit. Hermione's face crept forward to the forefront of her mind, the smile she gave the guard when she saw him. '_Whore… All a mudblood is good for.'_ An unfamiliar twinge rippled through her stomach, Bellatrix shook her head and dismissed it as lingering pain from her injuries.

She lost track of time as she laid there thinking over recent events, her master's downfall, her sister's betrayal, but more often than not her mind kept returning to the mudblood. As much as she despised mudbloods, there was something about Hermione that intrigued her, she was an enigma and one that Bellatrix was finding herself more and more keen on solving every time her mind returned to the mudblood. After a while she started to grow bored of dwelling on her own thoughts and instead Bellatrix allowed herself to listen back in on their conversation.

"Really? Wow, that was very shrewd of you." The guard just said as he laughed lightly. "Oh… That reminds me, I nearly forgot the reason why I'm here. I spoke with Head Warden Brown last night after leaving you and I've arranged you're visiting order."

"You have? You mean I really can have visitors?" The brunette blurted out quickly as her brows rose in what Bellatrix assumed to be surprise.

"Of course, they said nothing about not letting anyone see you. Now I hope you don't mind but I took the liberty of doing yours right away and sent an owl straight away addressed to your Auror friend."

"Nymphadora?" No I don't mind at all! Do you know how long it will be till you hear back?"

"Oh not long at all, her reply already came back, here." Oswin handed the brunette a small envelope through the bars of cell, who then opened it hastily, her face lit up as her eyes scanned the contents.

"3 days… She'll be here in just 3 days! Thank you Oswin!" The brunettes face was positively glowing as a large smile danced about on her lips, for the second time that morning the same unfamiliar pang passed once again through Bellatrix's chest as she watched the mudblood almost jump for joy at the prospect of seeing her blood traitor sister's whelp. "Can I… Can I keep this?"

"No need to thank me Hermione, it's the least I can do after all you've done for the wizarding world… And I don't see why you can't keep a hold of it, now unfortunately if you'll excuse me I got something to discuss with _her._" Oswin turned to face Bellatrix's cell while the younger witch went over to her bed and started to reread her letter. "Mrs Lestrange." He said in a bitter tone of voice.

"What do you want! And make it snappy! It's bad enough I have a filthy mudblood whore in my sight, don't need a second pathetic creature tainting my view." Bellatrix spat out.

"Believe me Mrs Lestrange, I'd rather dance with dragons then interact with the likes of you." Oswin spoke calmly but the hate in his voice was clear.

Bellatrix cackled loudly, mocking the guard. "That can be arranged."

"Perhaps, but not by you. Anyway, the sooner this is over with the sooner I can be done with you; you too have a visiting order. Your sister Mrs Malfoy will be here in a few days."

Bellatrix leapt up from her bed and moved swiftly right up to the bars of her cell, causing Oswin to take a step back. "I can save her a wasted journey; you can tell my blood traitor of a sister that I don't want to see her!" She shrieked out at the top of her lungs as her hands gripped at the bars tightly.

"I don't take orders from you, nor am I doing your dirty work. Tell her yourself." Bellatrix snarled at the guard whom now was turning on his heels and proceeding to leave but stopped just before he vanished from sight. "Oh I forgot to mention, the new bathroom facilities are up and running. Regretfully we don't have enough bathrooms for each prisoner so you'll have to share and-"

"What?!" Both Hermione and Bellatrix yelped out at the same time, Hermione put her letter aside as she too got back up to her feet and moved over to the bars.

"You can't stick me alone in a bathroom with her!" Hermione said quickly, her voice shaking with what Bellatrix hoped was fear.

"I understand Hermione, but everyone has to share and for obvious reasons female prisoners cannot share with males, so sadly that leaves you with little choice."

"But she'll kill me!" The younger witch's face was panic stricken; her eyes had grown wide in fear. '_Yes muddy, be afraid, be very afraid.'_

"No. I promise no harm will come to you; the room will be separated by wards. She will not be able to cross into your side or come close." Oswin gave Hermione a small reassuring smile, but it did nothing to ease the look that was on the brunettes face. "I have to go, take care Hermione and don't worry, it will be fine and soon hopefully you'll be gone from here and back home where you belong."

Without another word Oswin turned tail and left. Bellatrix's eyes followed the guard's back until he was out of sight then turned to meet Hermione's gaze who still looked terrified. "Well muddy, I think we're going to have some fun days ahead of us." Bellatrix said in a low seductive tone as she tilted her head to one side, a small grin appeared across her lips. "I'm sure you'll get more than an eyeful… And so will I." Her tongue flickered out and wetted her lips. Hermione seemingly quickly caught on to Bellatrix's meaning and retreated to her bed with a blush while Bellatrix cackled hysterically away.

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><p><strong>AN: **Hope you enjoyed chapter 4 ^_^ this chapter was harder to write because I hate doing filler, but the next few chapters are all mapped out so I'll update soon.


	5. Chapter 5: Deadly Beauty

**A/N: **Thank you for all your support ^^ every review is much appreciated and provides much needed motivation :). I've already posted warnings before but since this chapter contains the first of such content… A **warning **that this chapter contains **sexual **and **violent content.** I got a little carried away with this chapter and it grew far longer than I planned, so some content has been moved to the next chapter. Anyway hope you enjoy chapter 5 ;)

**Disclaimer:** The world of Harry Potter and the original storyline are not mine; they belong to J.K. Rowling.

Read, review and most of all… Enjoy!

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><p><strong>Chapter 5: Deadly Beauty<strong>

**Hermione**

_Hermione,_

_I just found out what's happening from Kingsley after receiving a visiting order from Azkaban to see you. What the hell, this is complete and utter bat shit! How could they do this! I get discharged from __St_. _Mungo's tomorrow and I won't rest till I find a way to get all of you out of that place._

_I need to see to some stuff quickly when I leave here, but it won't take long. Already making the arrangements to come see you, I should be with you in 3 days' time. Hope you're coping ok over there… What am I saying? Of course you are, your strong, you won't let that place get to you. Stay safe sweetie._

_Miss you._

_Nymph_

Hermione smiled as she finished reading the letter again for the tenth time that morning, she had sat on her bed in the corner every morning since receiving it, memorising the contents until she could see the words every time she shut her eyes. It was a short letter, at first glance it would seem insignificant to anyone else but not to Hermione, it gave her hope and something she could genuinely look forward too. '_Miss you too Nymph…'_ Old feelings stirred for the young Auror every time Hermione saw those last few words, unfortunately those feelings came with a double helping of guilt and shame.

Technically she was with Ron now, she shouldn't be having such feelings about Tonks still, and it was unfair to both of them. That and Tonks had only just lost her husband Remus, the father of her child, Hermione's stomach churned in disgust at herself as that reminder stung at that back of her mind. _'I got to stop having these feelings… What kind of person do they make me out to be? They are both a betrayal to Ron and to the memory of Remus… And Tonks, she is in no doubt in mourning for Remus's death, how can I even… Think these things, feel these things… When she's going through all that? How insensitive, selfish and cruel does that make me?'_

Hermione sighed and slid the letter under her pillow. '_Still… I can at least look forward to seeing her as one of my closest friends and not feel guilty about that. She needs a friend more than anything right now and I'll happily be that friend.' _Hermione concentrated on that line of thought alone until it filled her with some sense of joy, a smile formed on her lips as she focused on the importance of today, for today was the day that Tonks would be visiting if all was well. '_I wonder if we'll get a private room for the visit… I'm not sure the visit will be entirely pleasant when Tonks see's Bellatrix, if it's held here…'_

Hermione turned to look over at Bellatrix who seemed to be lost in thought looking up at the ceiling of her cell. Again the feeling of guilt and shame started to knot at her stomach as Tonks wasn't the only person who wasn't Ron that played on her mind; at least the lingering feelings for Tonks were understandable… But the dark and lustful images involving the dark witch which that had started to take root in the depths of her mind were far from normal. Images that were further encouraged by Bellatrix who had worked out with the aid of Hermione's betraying complexion that her body had an effect of sorts on Hermione. Bellatrix had been using that new information over the past couple of days, having now found a way to get to Hermione without having to result to insults and slurs nearly as often as before. Instead she showcased her body, tormenting her in what Hermione couldn't deny as being erotic poses whilst staying mostly clothed, which Hermione was ashamed to say part of her was disappointed over. But that same part of her mind was more than willing to work up Hermione's imagination regardless if she liked it or not.

But at least Hermione could try and justify that behaviour to herself. '_I'm incarcerated, and for two weeks of that imprisonment I was all alone. But now all I have for company, all I can see… Is a somewhat beautiful woman who seems to enjoy tormenting me with her figure… I'm not a prude; I have my needs, my desires… Of course my mind is going to wander; I'm only human after all.' _But it wasn't the mental images that made Hermione feel guilty and ashamed… Well not entirely. It was the fact that she never in all her time here, thought about Ron in that way, thinking about it… She didn't think she had ever thought of Ron quite like that ever. She had tried to last night when she was feeling aroused, but she quickly and surprisingly found herself repulsed at what her mind was conjuring up. Instead she reverted to thinking about Bellatrix, willingly. That is what she felt most guilty about, that she felt far more lust and desire for a murderer and torturer, then her own boyfriend.

'_We've been friends for 7 years, maybe too long a friendship to be anything else… Hmm, no maybe about it… I think of him as a friend first before I do as a boyfriend, heck maybe even as a really annoying brother… And I knew this… Why did I let myself get involved?' _Hermione laid there quizzing herself about her relationship with Ron, about how she felt for him, how he felt for her and came to realise it wasn't the same. She knew what love felt like, she had loved Tonks, maybe part of her still did and even that part of her loved Tonks more than the whole of her loved Ron in that way. '_Great… Nice hole I've dug myself… How will do I tell him? Should I? Or should I see if it changes in time?' _Hermione groaned at the prospect of having to break her friends… Boyfriend's heart.

"Now that was a suspicious groan muddy." Bellatrix's voice piped up from her cell, her gaze broke away from the ceiling as her face turned to look at Hermione through her wild thick dark curls. "And I wasn't even doing anything this time, is your imagination working overtime over there my pet?"

"No! I wasn't thinking of you so don't flatter yourself!" Hermione blurted out before she had a chance to think about what she was saying.

"Oh hit a nerve did I? I never said you were thinking about me muddy." Bellatrix said calmly as she sat up, she raised her arms in the air and stretched, arching her back and thrusting her chest out. Hermione quickly averted her eyes, not wanting to give Bellatrix's antics any further satisfaction but that didn't stop the dark witch cackling away. "I see you've stopped… Feeling up… That letter, has the little mudblood got herself an admirer? Been fucking my dear niece have you? Now was that before or after she married the wolf? I wonder what she'd say about you reading her letter but thinking of me while you're at it."

"Firstly, you're so full of yourself, you really must be insane if you really think I'd spare a seconds thought thinking of you!" Hermione snapped, ignoring the voice in her head calling her a liar as she stared hard at the wall in front of her, refusing to look at Bellatrix in case her cheeks told a different story then that of her tongue. "And secondly, my business has got nothing to do with you!"

"Awww poor little mudblood getting all defensive, now can you say that to me without blushing, rather than at the wall?" Bellatrix's voice was surprisingly soft, and strangely inviting, it was almost enough to get Hermione to comply with Bellatrix's request.

Hermione shook her head and gave her leg a little pinch to stay focused, hidden from view from the other witch. "I… I don't have to do anything; I got nothing to prove to you." Hermione sighed inwardly. '_Dammit, I can't let her get to me; I can't let her drag me into a fight.'_

Bellatrix was silent for a while and Hermione falsely believed that maybe that was the end of it. "Well you're partly right, you're just a filthy little mudblood whore. You could never prove yourself to anyone, let alone me." No trace of Bellatrix's previous soft tone remained in her voice and instead was replaced with one Hermione was much more familiar with, one of coldness and hate.

"Well if I am such a _filthy little mudblood whore_… Why are you trying so hard to get my attention?" Hermione tried to keep all emotion out of her voice, her fingernails were digging into her knee, she hoped the discomfort would be enough to keep her focused on maintaining her cool.

The dark witch cackled long and hard. Every time Hermione heard Bellatrix's twisted laugh a cold chill ran down her spine, in her mind the laugh was more unnerving then any of her harsh and cruel tones of voice, for to Hermione it meant that Bellatrix was enjoying herself and that was the last thing she wanted. "Ohh now who's flattering themself? I don't need to try my pet; I can get your attention simply by existing. And as to why?" Bellatrix paused; Hermione heard the clucking of her tongue against her teeth. "I'm bored, and tormenting you is somewhat fun."

Much to Hermiones relief the sound of people approaching cut the conversation short before it could ugly. '_Tonks is here already?'_ Hermione quickly got to her feet and tried to make herself presentable while ignoring the mocking sounds coming from Bellatrix.

"Morning Hermione." Oswin said as he came into view, followed by the grumpy black haired guard, Hermione felt her heart drop a little but didn't let the disappointment show. '_Maybe I am being taken to a private room after all'_

"Morning Oswin." She replied with a small smile.

"You're looking especially cheerful today, looking forward to your visit I take it?"

"I…-"

Before Hermione could finish speaking, Bellatrix interrupted with a loud series of tuts. "Now that's not very nice, where's my morning?" She said in a bored tone as she inspected the back of her hand. "Insolent dog." Bellatrix growled out lowly, Hermione, Oswin and the other guard looked at her briefly before turning their attentions back to each other.

"Anyway… I thought you'd might appreciate the use of the new bathroom before your visitor arrived so I've rearranged your slot on the rota to go now instead of later. We've come to escort you… Both." Oswin added, ignoring the dark witch in the cell behind him. Hermione's eyes quickly darted back to Bellatrix, who was still admiring the back of her hand, but a grin was now playing about her lips. Oswin noticed the exchanged and frowned. "I promise Hermione, it will be safe, the worst she can do is waggle her forked tongue." That comment earned a dangerous hiss from Bellatrix and Hermione couldn't help but silently agree with the dark witch. '_That's not the worst she can do.'_

"Ok, but… I haven't got any wash things."

"Not to worry, the bathroom has enough toiletries to cover your needs. Also you'll find a fresh pair of undergarments and garbs each." Oswin gave a quick reassuring smile before whipping out his wand and beginning to open Hermione's cell. "Gabriel can you take care of Mrs Lestrange."

The guard called Gabriel moved towards Bellatrix's cell but unlike Oswin, he didn't start to unlock it. "Up!" He barked in a hard tone, Bellatrix peered up at him and snarled before looking to meet Hermione's gaze. For a few moments she did nothing, then she stood up and headed over to the wall, before the guard could give her any more instructions Bellatrix got to her knees and pressed her nose against the wall then proceeded to cross her arms behind her back. Without saying another work Gabriel flicked his wand, a heavy pair of manacles materialised and fastened around Bellatrix's ankles and wrists, before beginning to open her cell.

Hermione kept her eyes on Bellatrix the entire time, she felt very uneasy about something but couldn't put her finger on it. Shrugging to herself, Hermione smiled at Oswin as he let her out of her cell and to her relief, left her unshackled. She followed Oswin down the corridor, taking the time to peer into the deserted cells on the way, the sound of chains clanking and grinding together was following not far behind Hermione, a chilling reminder that in a few minutes she would be alone in a bathroom with Bellatrix, with no bars separating them. '_I hope Oswin is right…'_

They walked in near silence, passing through other corridors in her cell block, each one as deserted as the last. Not before long they passed through a large pair of iron doors that led into another corridor, but unlike the other corridors this one had no cells and was slightly wider. Instead of cells, either side of the corridor were a series of large cast iron doors spaced out far apart with a roman numeral stamped on the front in black. Below each numeral was either the words vacant or engaged, but Hermione couldn't hear a peep coming from the ones that were engaged. "Is anyone using them then? I can't hear anything." Hermione asked, she could however hear the sound of raised voices past the door's leading to the next wing. '_I guess those one's aren't as deserted.' _

"Each door has a silencing charm for the sake of privacy." Oswin said as he led them to the nearest vacant door which was numbered _IV_.

Hermione stopped in her tracks, fear crossed her face as Oswin words sunk in, but before she could voice her concerns a body collided hard into the back of her. Hermione stumbled a couple steps forward and spun on her heels, coming face to face with Bellatrix who was wearing a very unnerving grin.

"Watch it muddy!" Bellatrix growled and took a step closer, Hermione gulped hard and moved back closer to Oswin, following him into the room while Gabriel held Bellatrix back and had a word with her.

The bathroom took Hermione by surprise momentarily, compared to the rest of Azkaban, or at least the parts she had seen, the bathroom was luxurious by comparison. Black tiles made up the floor, while the walls and ceiling were made of light grey stone, numerous large dark mahogany beams ran the length of the room across the ceiling. A large iron cast chandelier hung from the most central beam providing the main source of light and several wall mounted candles made up for the lack of a window.

Hermione saw what Oswin had meant by _her side_, either side of the bathroom was identical, both sides had a pair of large wooden cubicles, the smaller of the two was for the toilet, while the large one doubled as both a changing room and a shower, with a small curtain dividing it into two. Also on each side was a set of dark wooden counters, some shelves and a wash basin, sitting above the basin was a small mirror while on the shelves there was the promised toiletries. The crowning piece of the bathroom was the large circular bath that sat embedded in the middle of the room, with just the rim raised up from the floor, a set of bronze taps were on both sides of the bath, right opposite each other. '_One bath… Ohh this is going to be awkward… How is this going to work?'_

The clink of chains brought Hermione's attention away from her surroundings and looked back to see Bellatrix enter with Gabriel close behind. Hermione took a couple steps back to avoid any more _accidental_ bumps and watched as she was taken to the other side of the bathroom.

"Right ok." Oswin finally spoke up after Bellatrix was on the other side. "I saw you looked a little panicked when I mentioned the door had a silencing charm on them, do you see the bell hanging by the door?" Hermione looked over to the door and nodded when she the two brass bells that hung either side of the door. "Don't let looks deceive you, they have an alarm charm placed on them, give them a ring and we'll be here right away."

"Ok, thank you Oswin… And what of the wards?"

"Gabriel is just about to apply them now." Oswin motioned over to the other guard who had just left Bellatrix by the wall. Gabriel moved over to the door with his wand in hand then began weaving it effortless through the air, a large magical barrier began to appear and separated the room almost in half, stretching from past the door and straight down to the other end. Hermione tried hard to suppress a smug grin when she realised she had the bigger half. '_I don't think Bellatrix will be too happy about that.'_ When Gabriel lowered his wand, the barrier faded from view, but just to show it was still in place he prodded at the air with the tip of his wand and sure enough the barrier flared into existence, sparks flew dangerous at the point where contact was made. With another flick of his wand the shackles around Bellatrix's wrists and ankles vanished, Hermione looked at Oswin curiously and hoped he would explain.

"It's only a physical barrier, spells can still pass through. Seeing as neither of you have wands that won't be a problem, it's just in case we need to use ours. Right anyway I think that's everything, we'll be back in an hour, and remember, if you really need us, just ring the bell."

"Thank you." Hermione said in a calm voice, not wanting to show how frightened she still was at the idea. Oswin nodded and then left the room with Gabriel, the large iron doors shut tight with the sound of iron grinding against stone then the sound of it being locked followed. '_Ok… This is it, alone in a bathroom with Bellatrix Lestrange… Merlin save me.'_

Hermione looked over first to see what Bellatrix was up to, the dark witch was rubbing her wrists and had started to pace, her gaze didn't fall in Hermione's direction once. Instead she grabbed a few wash products from the shelf and headed into one of the cubicles, shutting the door behind her without so much as a fleeting glance back. '_Uh… Well that's surprising… She acted as if I wasn't here, can't complain I guess.' _Hermione had to give herself a little pinch when part of her felt a little disappointed that she wasn't going to get to see Bellatrix out of her garbs.

Shaking her head Hermione moved over to the shelf and took of a bottle of shampoo and body wash, then headed over to the larger cubicle and shut the door. Inside was a small bench with a couple of towels, a clean set of prisoner garbs, a plain black bra and underwear to match. Not wanting to waste time, Hermione quickly shed her prisoner issued plimsolls, her dirty garbs and underwear, now that she was satisfied that she had little to fear from Bellatrix for the time being, she was rather looking forward to a hot shower after weeks of just having a small bowl to wash with.

Stepping through the shower curtain, Hermione fiddled with the knobs under hot water poured from the shower head, soaking her from head to foot, encasing her body in a liquid layer of soothing warmth. "Ahhh that feels so gooood." She said softly to herself as she stretched and flexed her body under the downpour. Using the flannel provided and the body wash, Hermione began to scrub her body clean, rubbing away all the grim and dirt that had accumulated over the past couple weeks.

When she was pleased with the result after what seemed like hours of scrubbing. Hermione then went on to relax slightly and just enjoy the small sense of freedom and privacy, her fingers slid slowly down her body, taking the time to briefly stop at her breasts and tease her nipples, until she evoked a small moan of pleasure from her lips. Her hand crept down her body, ignoring the voice in the back of her head she then went on to relief herself of some of the pent up frustrations she had been experiencing over the past few days.

Her fingers teased her core, running small gentle circles around it, her thumb flickered lightly down over her clit and between her folds. Her breathing picked up pace as she let her fingertips edge closer to her core until they so eagerly slid between her folds, a moan escaped her lips as her fingers rubbed against her. Unable to tease herself any longer, Hermione let a single digit slide slowly deep within her core while her thumb ran circles around her clit and slowly she began to fuck herself in the shower, adding a second finger as she picked up the pace.

Moans tumbled freely from her lips which thankfully were drowned out by the sound of the raging shower, Hermione allowed herself to fall back against the wall of the cubicle for support as she lifted and spread her leg, allowing her to push her fingers deeper and harder inside herself. Arousing images flashed before her mind, the same images that had been tormenting her for days were back in force. She was imagining a certain dark witch naked in the shower with her, three of her slender fingers replacing Hermione's and fucking her hard while her other hand roughly groped her breasts, her teeth sinking into her neck, her lips sucking on her pulse point.

Then… It all came to an abrupt end. "Bellaaaaa." Hermione moaned out loud as she reached her climax and it didn't take long for it to hit home what she had just done. Her hand clamped over her mouth as her eyes widened in shock. '_Oh god… Why did I say that… Fuck…'_ Embarrassed and a little ashamed she groaned into her hand and mentally scolded herself, before then cleaning herself up and giving her hair a quick wash to take her mind of it.

Once done she grabbed the nearest towel and hastily dried herself, then slipped on the clean undergarments, the fresh set of prisoner attire and her shoes. After taking a deep breath and silently hoping her face wasn't burning red, she stepped out of the cubicle. Her eyes immediately found Bellatrix who was sitting on one of the counters drying her hair, completely topless. Hermione froze, unable to tear her eyes away from the half-naked figure as they took in every detail that they could see, her flat scarred belly, her firm shoulders which looked a little bit bonier then she remembered and of course, her large pale round breasts that jiggled slightly as Bellatrix roughly rubbed at her hair with a towel.

Hermione stood there mesmerized by Bellatrix's small yet well-endowed pale smooth frame. '_She is as beautiful as she is deadly.'_ She thought as she gulped down hard, there was no denying Bellatrix's beauty now, despite all her mental and emotionally faults, physically she was perfect in Hermione's eyes.

"Hmm could have saved myself the bother of drying myself, if I'd known your eyes would burn into me that much muddy." Bellatrix said in a teasing tone of voice which snapped Hermione out of her trance.

Hermione's eyes quickly left the sight of Bellatrix's breasts and met the dark witches gaze, feeling even more embarrassed then before. "Wha... What? I… I don't know what you mean." She replied stupidly before scurrying quickly over to the mirror by the basin.

"Of course you don't… My pet."

Again Hermione mentally scolded herself for her foolishness and started to finish drying her own hair, every so often Hermione would steal a look in her mirror and catch a glimpse of the half-naked dark witch doing one thing or another by her basin. '_Ok stop it Hermione, stop it! You're making a fool of yourself, get a grip!'_ The next time Hermione look up she was disappointed to see that Bellatrix had now finished dressing herself.

Grabbing a comb off the shelf, Hermione began to work it through her knotted hair, biting down on her bottom lip to stop any noises of discomfort leaving her lips, to avoid any comments from Bellatrix. It wasn't long until the comb got caught in a particular troublesome knot, after a few rough tugs she worked her way through it, but also managed to send the comb flying across the room and hit the barrier with a crackle.

Sighing at how pathetic and foolish she had made herself seem over the past five minutes, Hermione groaned and walked over to where the comb had fell by the barrier. Whilst bending over to retrieve it, an uneasy feeling passed over her, as if someone had just walked over her grave. Her uneasy grew worse when she stood up and came face to face with Bellatrix, who was barely standing inches away from her, her deep dark eyes burning into her. '_What the… How the hell did she move so fast and silently without me even noticing?'_

"Well hello there muddy." She said with a purr as she tilted her head to the side.

'_Don't back away, there's no need to be afraid, she can't pass the barrier.'_ Despite knowing she was safe, she was still very afraid, the last time Bellatrix had been that close she had left scars, both physically and mentally. "What do you want? I'm not afraid of you." Hermione asked in a calm tone of voice, hoping it was enough to cover up how she truly felt.

"Then you're a fool." Bellatrix voice turned cold and sharp, then what came next happened so fast, Hermione didn't see it till it was too late. Bellatrix's hands shot forward passed where the barriers should have been, one grabbed her wrist hard and twisted it further then should have been possible, making her drop the comb, the other hand clamped around Hermione's mouth before she could cry out in pain or for help. "Because you should be afraid muddy, very afraid."

Hermione's eyes widened with fear, there was no point trying to hide it, Bellatrix was right, she should be afraid. '_No no no! How! The barriers… What happened to them?! Oh god… This is all my fault! I forgot how dangerous she can be, I was too busy being distracted by her fucking body!'_ The pain radiating up her arm from her wrist was agonising, she could feel the strain on her bones as they cried out, if Bellatrix twisted just a bit further Hermione knew she would break her wrist. Hermione's only free hand came up and tried to pry away Bellatrix's hand from her mouth, but all that did was cause her wrist to edge closer to breaking point, her hand clamped tighter over Hermione's mouth further adding to the pain.

"Now now muddy, don't be stupid. The dog already said there's a silencing charm in effect, no one will hear your screams or cries for help… You had your chance to speak, to explain. Now you'll shut up and listen to what I have to say whore." Bellatrix spat out darkly, Hermione could feel the sting of tears starting to leak from her eyes.

"I have waited… Waited so so long for this moment, to have you in my grasp again you filthy whore. You've tormented me for far too long, every time I close my eyes I see you… See you laughing at me, mocking me, both of you!" Bellatrix paused and stared deep into Hermione's eyes as she breathed heavily, all Hermione could see was hate, pure hate, the desire to kill, Bellatrix was going to kill her, Hermione could see that clearly. "Last time… In my heartbreak I killed you too quick… But I don't have that weakness anymore, and I've learned to appreciate dragging it out." '_What… What is she…? What's she talking about?'_ Hermione thought as the tears streamed down her face, utterly confused and petrified.

Bellatrix then laughed softly and smiled. "I have thought endless about how I'd make you suffer as I did… Unfortunately, I don't have everything at my disposal… And I may not get another chance. So I'll have to make do…" Bellatrix removed her hand slowly from Hermione's mouth. Hermione quickly tried to make a sound, to reason with Bellatrix that she must be mistaking her for someone else, as she not no clue as to what the dark witch was talking about. But the only sound that escaped her lips was a strangled gasp as Bellatrix wrapped her hand tightly around Hermione's throat, her fingernails clawing at her, digging into her skin.

"Now this… This is so much better than before, so much more… Satisfying. Watching your life slowly ebb away." Bellatrix was hysterical as she spoke, a large smile danced upon her lips, the hate in her eyes still burnt strong but now they held a hint of joy too. Hermione had no idea what to do as she struggled desperately to breath, her hand came up as she tried to scratch and pull at Bellatrix, aiming for her face. But her grip grew tighter the more Hermione tried to resist, giving up trying to attack Bellatrix she tried to pry her hand away, but the Death Eater's grip remained unyielding.

"But… I'm not completely heartless, I will give you a parting gift… For old time's sake." Bellatrix lent forward and without further warning, locked her lips over Hermione's and kissed her deeply as they bodies pressed together. Bellatrix's tongue trashed about wildly inside her mouth, rubbing against and dancing around Hermione's, and just for a split second, Hermione returned the kiss.

'_So this is how I'm going to die, after everything that happened… I'm going to die in a bathroom alone with Bellatrix, prisoner in a prison I shouldn't be in, being simultaneously kissed and strangled…' _Hermione could feel her eyes grow heavy and her lungs running on empty. '_There's so much I wanted to do… People I wanted to see… Harry, Ron, Tonks… My parents… No! I refuse to die right here, right now! I will not!'_ Hermione felt a burst of energy deep within her and acted out the first thing that came to mind, her knee came crashing up fast into Bellatrix's stomach.

The dark witch pulled away from the kiss and gave a long deep gasp, Hermione felt her grip loosen and with all her strength she pulled back, she tumbled backwards as she freed herself from Bellatrix's grip, and fell to the floor. Gasping to get her some of breath back, Hermione gave a quick glance over at Bellatrix, who was doubled over and clutching at her chest, Hermione then scurried to her feet and raced for the door while still trying to regain her breath. By now Bellatrix had recovered from the attack and made a move towards Hermione, only to be thrown back by the barrier which apparently was now back in place.

For now, Hermione didn't care about what was going on, she only cared about getting out and rang the bell as soon as she got to it. A loud deafening alarm sounded and within seconds the sound of the heavy iron door being unlocked followed, the door opened and Hermione collapsed against Oswin as he entered.

"She… She… Tried to kill… Me… Got through the… Barrier…" Hermione gasped out, looking up at the guard. Oswin immediately spotted the dark handprint around her neck and his face grew dark and serious.

"Gabriel! Escort Miss Granger back to her cell." He said over his shoulder. "It's ok Hermione, try and relax, Gabriel will take you back to your cell and I'll be round soon to find out what happened."

Gently Oswin passed Hermione over to Gabriel, who let her wrap her arm around him for support. Without another word Gabriel started to take Hermione away, Bellatrix was screaming abuse at her back as she left her and Oswin behind. They walked in silence through the corridors, Hermione's mind was racing over what had happened and was still trying to piece it all together by the time they got to her cell.

"Thank you Gabriel." Hermione said as she entered her cell and turned to look back at the guard.

Gabriel grunted as he locked her cell. "Don't thank me you filthy mudblood, your kind are nothing but trouble." He said as he gave her a long cold look before walking off.

Feeling her eyes starting to sting again, Hermione retreated to her bed where she curled up into a ball and began to cry.

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><p><strong>AN: **Ok so who hates me? :o This story will eventually be Bellamione but it doesn't mean either will get an easy ride. Hope you enjoyed it :) and I'll update soon! Keep sending in your support ^^ love hearing from you all.


	6. Chapter 6: The Three Visitors

**A/N:** Thanks again for all your continued support ^^ every review is much appreciated and provides much needed motivation and I love hearing from you all :). A **warning** that this chapter contains **sensitive subjects**. I will start to address reviews from now on after the A/N at the end of the chapter. Hope you enjoy Chapter 6 :D

**Disclaimer:** The world of Harry Potter and the original storyline are not mine; they belong to J.K. Rowling.

Read, review and most of all… Enjoy!

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><p><strong>Chapter 6: The Three Visitors<strong>

**Hermione**

Hermione lost track of time as she sobbed on her bed for what could have been hours, all of her pent up fear, her worries that had slowly been piling higher over the past few weeks had finally reached breaking point, and had been streaming down her face, soaking her flimsy pillow. Surprisingly Bellatrix wasn't the biggest cause of her tears, the dark witch was just being her normal evil, cruel and vicious self, abusing and killing, or in this case trying to kill, was what she did best, Hermione blamed herself for almost forgetting that.

It was Gabriel's words that had been the last straw and while she was used to being called a _filthy mudblood_ by pure blood extremists and Death Eaters, she was not used to being treated like that by people working in respectable positions or as part of the ministry. It really hit home about how life would be like after Hogwarts, living as a member of the whole wizarding community, rather than a student in a school. Would she face such prejudice and racism when she finally graduated? Would prejudice against her blood status restrict her chosen career, her future after Hogwarts? Professor McGonagall had said she could return to take her final year in September providing the school was ready to be reopened by then, and of course now providing she wasn't still stuck in Azkaban by then.

'_Your kind are nothing but trouble he said…'_ That statement coming from someone in his position casted a bleak cloud over her future plans and dreams. That coupled with the perhaps irrational feeling of being abandoned and left to rot in this hellhole had been the cause of the state she was in now. '_At Hogwarts, prejudice and racism was minor at best, just a select few Slytherins… The professors had said that I'd find equal opportunities in the wizarding world and could be whatever I aspired to be… But what if that was a lie? What if they just said that because they didn't want to tell me the reality of it all? What if Bellatrix wasn't being insulting all those times and just saying it how it is? And that mostly all muggle-borns can become… Are whores…?' _Hermione squeezed her eyelids down tight and fought back the threat of fresh tears. '_No! I refuse to believe that's all a muggle-born can become… I shouldn't… No, I cannot let small minded people put me down.'_

While lost in her dejected contemplation, Hermione didn't hear the approach of her guests until they spoke up. "Hermione?" Oswin asked in a concerned tone of voice. "How are you feeling?" But Hermione couldn't bring herself to answer, or even look back, she felt too disheartened to face anyone, nor did she want them to see her in such a state. All she wanted right now was just to be left alone.

After a few moments silence a new voice broke the silence. "Hermione?" The voice was softer, more feminine. Hermione's eyes shot open as she recognised it.

"Tonks?" Hermione asked, no louder then a whisper as she looked over her shoulder slightly. Sure enough, standing by Oswin with bright pink hair and wearing a short brown leather jacket, was the young Auror.

"Ah there you are, was wondering if I'd been led to a pile of blankets. Wotcher Hermione." She teased with a smile before turning to Oswin. "Could you let me in? Pretty sure I'll be safe."

"Of course. I need a word with Hermione briefly then I'll give you two some privacy." Oswin replied as he pulled out his wand, with a few flicks of his wand the gate to her cell appeared and opened, allowing them both to step inside.

Hermione started to sit up but then froze, her hand moved up to her neck, her fingers gently brushed against where Bellatrix had grabbed her and a small gasp escaped her lips as she touched the sensitive area. '_I can't let Tonks see me like this, she'll freak out!'_

"Hermione? What's wrong hun?" Tonks asked softly as she approached, her voice quieter now and laced with concern. Her hand rested gently on Hermione's shoulder which caused her to involuntary flinch. Hermione stared hard at the wall, not knowing what to say, she didn't want Tonks worrying about her, she didn't want to see her even softer and gentle loving side. Hermione felt the mattress sink slightly as an extra body sat on the edge, Tonks face peeked around Hermione's shoulder and met her gaze for a moment. Her eyes then moved down to Hermione's hand which was covering the sight of her neck. Her hand came up softly and gently moved Hermione's hand, pausing for a second when she flinched, until she saw the deep purple and yellow bruising which had begun to form.

Tonks gasped, her eyes widened and her head jolted back in shock. "Hermione… What happened? Who did this?" Her fingers were gently caressing the back of her hand, drawing small circles with the tips of fingers as she tried to reassure and comfort her, then looked back at Oswin. "What's happened to her?" She asked him in a stern tone.

"There was an incident earlier where she was attacked by a fellow inmate. Which is what I needed to talk to Hermione about."

"Why didn't you tell me about this on the way?!" Tonks snapped angrily before meeting Hermione's gaze again and her eyes softening. "Who did this hun?"

"Bellatrix."

"That vicious evil bitch? I'll kill her! Where is she?!" Tonks demanded at Oswin.

"She's been put into solitary confinement for the time being."

"I hope you leave her to rot in there, how did this happen?

"That is what I'd like to ask Miss Granger, do you mind if I have a word with her?"

Tonks didn't move for a few seconds as she looked between the pair, she then started to get up but Hermione grabbed her lightly. "Stay with me… Please." Tonks nodded softly and sat back down with Hermione.

"Ok Hermione, take all the time that you need, and when you're ready can you start from the beginning please."

Hermione sighed inwardly and pushed most of the blankets of herself as she turned to sit on the edge of the bed next to Tonks, her injured wrist still concealed from view and protected by the remaining blanket. Tonks hand came up and rested gently on Hermione's shoulder, giving her a little squeeze. After taking a deep breath Hermione quickly recapped almost everything that had happened and everything that Bellatrix had said, while conveniently leaving about the bit about what she did in the shower, or about her ogling over Bellatrix's naked chest. She also briefly considered mentioning Gabriel's comment, but decided that it had nothing to do with the Bellatrix incident. If she was to rise above such prejudice then the best thing to do was to pay no heed to it, to ignore it and not draw attention to it or show how it affected her.

'C_lose your ears, turn the other cheek and simile… That's what mum used to say… Worked well enough on that horrid girl that used to live down the road from me… Not entirely sure this is the same although… Anyway… I can do without the extra hassle, last thing I need at the moment is to draw more attention to myself… And it will only be my word against his and-'_

"Hermione?" Oswin's voice brought Hermione away from her line of thought. "Is there anything else?" He asked softly.

"No. That's everything." She shook her head as she lied.

"Ok, thank you Hermione." Oswin gave Hermione a little nod and a smile, which Tonks noticed and raised her eyebrow slightly.

"How did this happen?" Tonks asked after a short silence, taking her eyes away from Hermione and looked up at Oswin, Hermione could see the young Auror struggling to stay calm as she gritted her teeth. "I can't believe someone was stupid enough to think it would be ok to put Hermione, a muggle-born, into a bathroom alone with a notorious muggle-born hating psychopathic bitch." A cold chill travelled down Hermione's spine, it was a rare sight to see the usually calm, laid back, very upbeat and energetic Auror, angry and hateful. It slightly unnerved Hermione at how much Tonks sounded like Bellatrix when she was like this, something she would never dream of telling her, to Tonks there would be no bigger insult.

"We don't know, the same wards have been used all day for the past few days and we've had no issue with them." Oswin replied in a strained and slightly defensive tone, his hand came up and stroked his stubble as he sighed, obviously he seemed uncomfortable being interrogated by the Auror. "As for pairing them up… She should have been perfectly safe. If we had any other choice, we would have gone with it."

"You had a choice, you could have let Hermione have her own bathroom and left Bellatrix to rot. Hermione shouldn't even be here! Let alone have to share a bathroom with such a vile creature, who doesn't deserve to have access to such luxuries I might add." Hermione tried not to flinch when Tonks squeezed her shoulder harder in a protective manner.

"Mrs Tonks, I'm sure you're just as aware about the Ministry's new schemes and rehabilitation program as I am."

"What? Rehabilitation? For who?" Hermione voiced her curiosity before Tonks could reply to Oswin.

Tonks sighed and looked over at Hermione slightly, Hermione could see the disapproval for the Ministry's new plans and schemes written all over her face. "Kingsley wants to try rehabilitate some of the lesser convicts, partly to free up space here. But also to give some a second chance to prove they can live as law abiding citizens, by having them pay their dues while helping to rebuild the wizarding community under certain restrictions." Tonks shook her head and looked back up at Oswin. "But that will never stretch to prisoners of Bellatrix's calibre, they will rot here for the rest of their lives, so there is no need to bother treating them well."

"Oh I agree, but we must do as the Ministry asks. The old system was flawed, the only reason it stayed in place for so long was because of the Dementors. But now with them gone… We have to find new ways to pacify the populace, and that means treating them like human beings, giving them hope that one day, if they behave themselves and show remorse that they may be free once more."

Hermione couldn't help but nod and agree. "Kingsley's got the right idea. The way things were before, no one deserves to be treated like that… And not everyone that comes to Azkaban is here because of terrible crimes. I remember Hagrid being falsely accused and sent here, he was only here a short while but he still said it was one of the worst moments of his life, and he was innocent." She looked over at Tonks who was frowning, Hermione could understand why Tonks would feel strongly against this, why most people would, especially now so soon after the war. But not Hermione, for she had always been a strong believer in equal rights, equal chances and second chances.

"People won't change if you treat them cruelly and like animals… And if they do change, it will be for the worst because of how they were treated and the conditions they were kept in." Hermione's mind briefly turned to Bellatrix as she spoke, and not for the first time wondered if Azkaban was what caused her insanity. '_If it was… Then all the more reason to change things for the better, the world doesn't need more Bellatrixs.'_

"Some people will never change although Hermione." Tonks said softly then indicated to the bruising on her neck. "You bare the unfortunate marks of that."

"Dumbledore said that everyone deserves a second chance. You'll never know that they can change if you don't give them that chance." Hermione voiced her reply with firm conviction while Oswin kept glancing between the two witches, oh how she missed debating with someone.

"Even people like Bellatrix?" Tonks asked, tilting her head to one side. '_What is it with you and Bellatrix randomly cocking your head to one side? It's so… Cute… Ugh…'_

"I… Maybe… I don't know… Yes… I guess." Hermione replied nervously, feeling uncomfortable with Bellatrix being brought up but thankfully Oswin took this moment to interrupt.

"You have a good heart Hermione, one that doesn't belong here. I hope Mrs Tonks here will be able to help sort out your release soon too. I best get going, I've taken up enough of your time. I'll be back soon to collect you Mrs Tonks." Oswin gave Hermione a little smirk and Tonks a small nod before leaving them alone in the cell and disappearing down the hallway.

"He seems nice." Tonks said as she met Hermione's gaze.

Hermione nodded and smiled, pleased deep down for the change in conversation. "Yeah, he's made things a bit easier here for me."

Tonks cocked her head to the side again and gave Hermione a sly smile "I bet, I think he has a thing for you."

"Don't be silly, of course he doesn't." Hermione chuffed and shook her head.

"No? I saw that smile he gave you and the way he looked at you. And what he said… _Oh Hermione, you have such a good heart, ohhh Hermione where out thou!_" The young Auror teased, throwing her head back and placing a hand on her heart as she spoke.

For the first time in weeks, Hermione started to laugh. "Stop it, you almost sound jealous there Nymph." She said after she finished giggling away.

"Ah maybe I am." The Auror said teasingly and gave Hermione a wink which sent butterflies fluttering about in her stomach.

Hermione smiled and without thinking hit Tonks's leg lightly with her hand, unfortunately she had used the one Bellatrix had almost broke. "Ow."She gasped as a light spasm of pain shot up from her wrist.

Tonks blinked in confusion then carefully moved the blanket off Hermione's hand, a frown appeared when she saw the dark marking that wrapped around her wrist. "Has no one tended to this?"

"It's fine, just a little sore that's all."

"It's not fine… Here." Tonks pulled out her wand, she pressed the tip lightly against Hermione's bruised wrist and muttered a small incantation. A soothing warm feeling drove away her ache and pain and the bruise faded slightly, she then lifted the wand gently to Hermione's neck and repeated the spell.

"Thanks Nymph." Hermione said as she gently rubbed her wrist.

"Anytime sweetie."

They sat there for a few moments in silence, both swinging there feet back and forth while swapping smiles. Hermione's gaze became fixed on the wall opposite as something Oswin said clicked. "Too? What did he mean?"

"Hmm? What did who mean?" Tonks looked down at Hermione with a confused expression.

"Oswin, what did he mean by he hopes you'll be able to help sort out my release soon _too_" A frown appeared across her brow as she tried to figure it out, the answer was on the tip of her tongue yet for now it was eluding her.

"Oh… That… Erm… It doesn't matter for now, forget about it…" The young Auror dismissed Hermione's question quickly as she scratched the back of her head, her eyes wandered around the room as she pretended to be interested in her surroundings.

"Tonks…"Hermione folded her arms and looked up at Tonks.

Tonks sighed and stood up, she started pacing Hermione's cell and fidgeting with her fingers, entwining them around each other. "First off, I hope you know that I'm doing everything and anything I can to help get you out soon, we all are."

Hermione's eyes followed Tonks around the room, growing increasingly nervous, Tonks was always so upfront with her, and if she was trying to hold something back then it couldn't be good. "I know."

The Auror nodded for a few moments and muttered to herself. "Right good, well because you see… Yesterday erm…" Tonks let the sentence trail off as she brought a hand to her forehead and exhaled deeply.

Hermione got to her feet and moved over to Tonks, she put a hand softly on the Auror's back and peered up into her eyes as she spoke softly. "It's ok, you can tell me anything. I won't bite your head off or anything."

They stood still for a few seconds, both staring deep into the other's eyes, Hermione could see how deep the worried expression ran across Tonks's face. But after a little encouraging smile from Hermione, Tonks nodded and spoke the words that had been caught in the back of her throat. "Harry and Ron, they were freed yesterday." She said softly.

"That's great news! How are they? Does that mean I'll be out soon too then?" Hermione blinked rapidly then a large smile lit up her face with a positive glow. '_That's fantastic! Finally this is almost over. But… Why was that hard for Tonks to say?'_

"They are fine… They asked me to tell you that they are thinking off you and won't sleep till they get you out… But… The Goblins… They're… They're holding onto you and have no intention of letting you go anytime soon." Tonks voice had dropped to barely a whisper by the time she finished talking, yet the anger in her voice couldn't have been clearer if she had been screaming out at the top of her lungs.

"What! Why?"

"They are still trying to pin everything on you, saying you was the mastermind of it all. Soon as I found out I marched into Gringotts and had a word with the Head Goblin… I er may have been chucked out after that, hopefully I didn't make things worst… Sorry."

Hermione backed away from Tonks, her eyes glistening with tears. "So… I'm the scapegoat… I really have been abandoned, it's because I'm a muggle-born isn't it?" Her hand came up to cover her mouth, trying to hold back sobbing again. '_Oh god, why is this happening to me? I'm not a bad person! I've always tried to help people, so why are people so eager to see me suffer?'_

"Hey now, none of that…" Tonks sounded shocked, she sprung forward and wrapped her arms around Hermione, pulling her into a tight embrace as Hermione pressed her face into Tonks's shoulders and once again started to cry. "It's ok… Let it all out hun… I swear you haven't been abandoned, I will always be there for you, as will the others… And we will get you out of here, I promise." Tonks softly rubbed Hermione's back and kissed the top of her head as Hermione shared her troubles and her tears.

* * *

><p><strong>Bellatrix<strong>

Bellatrix had only been awake for a short while yet she still felt shattered. After the incident in the bathroom, Oswin had stunned her and brought her down to one of the solitary confinement cells where he had just left her and let the stunner run its course. She sat up with a grunt, a hand gripping at her stomach as she righted herself.

The small cell was almost pitch black save for the small line of light leaking out from under the door, unlike her other cell she had no bars here, just a dark iron door who's width was almost as long as the width of her walls. With her back against the wall, she was able to touch the opposite wall with the tips of her toes as long as her legs were bent, the only way she would be able to stretch her body out fully would be to stand tall. Her box cell did at least have a bowl with a water refilling charm and her bottomless bucket, as well as a single blanket. '_This is the Azkaban I remember… Cold, dark, cramped… With fingernail marks scratched into the stone walls…' _Her fingers traced along some of the marks that she was just able to see. '_Some of these are mine more than likely.'_

A small jolt of pain shot through her while she stretched to trace more markings, causing her to flinch and gasp. Hermione's knee had struck true earlier, sending shockwaves ripping from her stomach and up her body, aggravating her fragile heart which had only just recovered from her injuries at Hogwarts. Running into the barrier and being flung across the room also hadn't helped matters, her body, her bones, her heart, everything was aching and crying out for rest, but Bellatrix couldn't sleep, her mind was in a muddle and she was still trying to piece together what happened.

First she remembered how she had been pleasuring herself in the shower where she may or may not have been thinking of the mudblood in the shower across the room from her. Then she remembered how she had deliberately tormented the same mudblood by purposely staying half naked and then… Then that's when things got confusing… She snapped and saw red, or to be more accurate, saw the whore. '_I don't understand what came over me… I mean I have no love for that filthy mudblood Granger and would gladly kill her, in time, after I grow bored of her… But it wasn't her I thought was stood before me, it wasn't her I thought I had in my grasp and it wasn't her I tried to kill. I've seen the mudblood Granger more than a few times and even had her at my mercy once, yet none of those times have I mistaken the two… The resemblance is striking yes, but I've never confused the two. So why did I this time? What triggered it?'_

Bellatrix shook her head and scowled. '_Bah what does it matter, the only good mudblood is a dead mudblood, doesn't matter who I thought it was.' _A small twinge pricked at her stomach, she gripped her gut and gritted her teeth ready to endure what she thought was the approach of pain. Most people would have known better, that that twinge was the stomach churning sensation of guilt and regret, something Bellatrix had rarely felt before.

She wasn't sure how long she had been stunned, or how long she had been locked down here, every hour was exactly the same as the last and for all she knew she could have already been down here days, although that seemed very unlikely. Soon she heard the echoing of heavy boots approaching and… Something else. '_Heels?'_ Bellatrix looked up curiously at her door, the sound of a catch being unlocked followed and a small grate in her door slid across, blinding Bellatrix with bright light.

Bellatrix hissed and rubbed her eyes till they adjusted to the new light source, the face of the guard Oswin appeared as he peered through the grate with a frown, then turned to an unseen someone on his left. "She's all yours Mrs Malfoy, I'll be back soon." Oswin gave Bellatrix another hard look then disappeared from sight.

Bellatrix clenched her fists tight, her nails digging deep in her palms as she stared up at the grate, waiting for the face of her blood traitor sister to appear. After a few moments silence, the familiar sight of long blonde and brunette hair appeared and Bellatrix found herself looking up into the sharp blue eyes of her baby sister.

"What are you doing here?!" Bellatrix hissed dangerously. "I told you I never wanted to see you again blood traitor!"

"I know." Narcissa replied in her calm and regal tone of voice.

"Then why are you here!"

"Because you are still my sister and I love you."

Bellatrix snorted and narrowed her eyes at Narcissa. "You are not my sister anymore! If you loved me you would never have betrayed me!"

Narcissa sighed and moved closer to the grate. "Please Bella I didn't come here to fight." She pleaded with her bright blue eyes.

"You shouldn't have come full stop!" Bellatrix spat out as she looked away, wanting to avoid her sister's manipulative gaze which so often in the past she would give in to when they were young.

"Bella I know you're angry with me, but I had to do it, for all of us, for our family. The Dark Lord had all but destroyed us!" Narcissa's voice turned cold and sharp while her face remained unreadable.

The mention of the Dark Lord by her sister caused Bellatrix to spring to her feet, her forehead coming to rest against the door as she glared out of the small opening, barely inches from her sister's face. "The Dark Lord would have rewarded us if we had won!"

Narcissa didn't as much as flinch at her eldest sister's aggression, she knew that despite how she felt right now, she would never hurt her. "And you are sure of that are you? After the way he treated us? Treated you?"

"He had every reason to be angry with us! We failed him, more than once! And the Dark Lord didn't tolerate failure… Anyway, I was the one who took the brunt of the punishments! I took it for our family, yet I still served him loyally! You have no excuse!"

"You have no idea." Narcissa whispered darkly, in a tone that was so unlike her that even Bellatrix was dumbfounded for a second.

"Oh is that so? Then enlighten me." She replied sarcastically.

"Do you have any idea how hard it was, how much it hurt to be forced to listen to your screams, to watch what they did to you? I'm sure you'd feel differently too if our places were switched." Narcissa snapped as her ice queen composure started to melt and the aggressive and defensive Black side of her started to come out.

"Except they weren't, the Dark Lord promised to be lenient with you at the cost of what was done to me. I took it for all us so that we would be forgiven and that when it was all over, we'd have a good future!" Bellatrix replied faithfully and proudly in a high and mighty tone of voice, sticking out her chin as she held her head high.

Narcissa stared hard at Bellatrix for a few seconds and spoke with no emotion in her voice. "He lied."

"Excuse me? How dare you-" Bellatrix's voice began to rise at her sister's slander but was cut off by her little sister as she continued to speak.

"He lied Bella, he broke that promise to you… The second you was out of sight, it was my turn."

"No! I don't believe you, you lie! He promised!"

"He broke many of his promises to us, to you."

"I know what promises he broke! He had good reason for breaking them after I disappointed him! But he would never have broken that promise to me!" Bellatrix said as she shirked in her sister's face.

Narcissa didn't say anything for a few moments and all that can be heard was the sound of Bellatrix's heavy laboured breathing. "Do I need to show you Bella? Do you really want to see _that?_" Narcissa finally asked quietly.

Bellatrix was slight taken aback by her sister's question, fear started to grip at her heart as she thought over it, not entirely sure she wanted to know the truth, for if her sister was right… But she had to know, just to be sure. "Yes."

"Very well."

Narcissa slowly drew her wand and aimed it at Bellatrix's temple, the tip lit up as an unseen force pushed deep into Bellatrix's mind. Bellatrix dropped her mental barriers and was soon engulfed with a barrage of memories seen through her sister's eyes.

Bellatrix watched how she pleaded with the Dark Lord for him to take it out on her and to go easy on Narcissa, the leniency he promised, she watched and listened to the torture she suffered and cringed when she witnessed her own rape carried out by some of the inner circle. Then when it was all over, the Dark Lord forgave her and her family for their failure then sent her away on a new assignment. Bellatrix remembered all of this clearly, but what came next she had no knowledge of.

Narcissa was then brought before the Dark Lord and he voiced his displeasure at her family, he went on to say that the Lestranges and the Malfoys were two different families, and that one punishment inflicted on one individual is not enough to cover both families' failings. Screams escaped her little sister's lips when she was hit by the Cruciatus curse and tortured. But it didn't end there and soon she was handed over to a couple members of the inner circle as well as the werewolf Fenrir Greyback, Bellatrix was forced to watch as Fenrir pinned her sister to the floor and forced himself on her.

Bellatrix couldn't bear to see anymore and she quickly put up her barriers, forcing Narcissa out of her mind. Without saying anything Narcissa rolled her the sleeves of her robes and showed Bellatrix the scars that Fenrir had given her.

"No no no…" Bellatrix muttered to herself as she fell back against the wall and slumped down to the floor, staring at her knees. "He lied to me… He promised that fate would never befall you… And I believed him."

"I know." Narcissa rolled down her sleeves and sighed. "It's not your fault, you believed in him, we all did once… After he was so quick to break his promise to you, I knew that our days were numbered… If we had won, the Dark Lord would have had no use left for us and… I did what you've always done, protect our family, by any means necessary."

"I'm… Sorry Cissy…" Bellatrix said quietly then looked up. "But this doesn't change the fact that you betrayed me."

"I know. I just wanted you to understand why." Narcissa stated quietly and when it became clear Bellatrix was done talking she turned and started to leave, but not before Bellatrix spoke up one more time.

"Don't come back Cissy. I'll never be leaving this place again and I don't want you to see me rot away here. So please, forget about me… It will be easier that way, for the both of us." Bellatrix met Narcissa's gaze one last time and saw the tears that were starting to swell, she didn't reply nor did she give any indication to what was on her mind or if she was going to do as she was told. She just held Bellatrix's gaze for a few moments then left quickly. "And… I love you too, baby sister." Bellatrix whispered when she was sure Narcissa was long gone.

* * *

><p>Hours had passed since Narcissa had left and Bellatrix had not moved from her spot against the wall once, not even to take her dinner off the guard when he came round. She had sat void of all emotion as she contemplated what her sister had shown her, she thought about all the broken promises and the lies, the years of dedicated and faithful service to the Dark Lord. <em>'Every promise he ever made, he broke… All but one… But seeing Cissy's memory… I know… He would have broken that one too… Cissy was right, he would have cast us aside if he'd won… All those years of loyal service, all those years waiting in this hellhole for him to return. It meant nothing to him… Twenty eight years… Wasted following a man who died to the same boy twice!'<em>

She'd been used and betrayed by people for far too long, anger and hated boiled away under the surface, not just at them but at herself for not seeing it coming. There was a growing emptiness inside, darkness, sorrow and insanity were clogging her up as she started to wonder what the point of her life had been and what point there was left to go on. Her eyes shifted from the water bowl to the blanket. _'It would be so easy… So easy just too… End it.'_ She had never been a coward but right now she didn't see the point in lingering on any longer.

"Mrs Lestrange." A voice came suddenly from beyond her door, catching Bellatrix by surprise.

She snapped out of her dismal mood and stared up hard at the door, waiting for the grate to open and reveal her visitor… But it never opened. "Who is it?! And what do you want!" She hissed.

"Who I am is irrelevant. As to what I want, I have a proposal for you." The mysterious voice said, Bellatrix could tell it belonged to a male, but they had to be using a charm as it was heavily distorted and irregular.

Bellatrix snarled at the mystery man. "What kind of proposal?"

"A simple one. You do a task for me, and in return I reward you." Thanks to the charm he was using, Bellatrix couldn't detect anything that would give her a hint to the workings of the man's mind or the emotion behind it.

"And what possible reward could I have use for when I'll be stuck in here for the rest of my life!" She snapped.

"Freedom." The voice replied simply.

"Freedom...?" Bellatrix asked weakly, completely stunned by the magnitude of what he was offering her, of course she knew that it was impossible for her to ever be free again and that whoever this person was, was as insane as her. Yet what if he spoke the truth? "Who are you?" She asked softly, still bewildered.

"An envoy of my employers, very powerful employers. Who can make good on their side of the deal."

"I very much doubt that moron. Who are these _all powerful_ employers then?" She asked mockingly.

"Irrelevant, all you need to know is if you do this task for them, you'll be a free woman the following day."

His words stung the back at the back of her mind, it was barely a few minutes ago she was considering taking her own life rather than being stuck in Azkaban for the rest of her days… And now the prospect of freedom was looming over her. "Let's say I was to humour you. What would the task be?" She asked flatly in a bored tone of voice, not wanting to show that she actually was interested just in case it got snatched away from her for his entertainment.

The mystery man was silent for what seemed like an eternity, Bellatrix was starting to think she had imagined the whole thing… But then his voice came again. "One we think you'd enjoy enormously. We want you to kill Miss Hermione Granger."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Hope you enjoyed chapter 6 :) Reviews are much appreciated and I'll try update soon x

**DrunknMunky85: **Glad you are enjoying it :) slowly building up to that ;) or am I? :o Teasing can be such fun lol

**Quantumphysica: **It does seem that way doesn't it? ;) Thanks for all the wonderful reviews so far and I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

**Harley Quinn Davidson: **Always good to hear that :) hope the new chapter was worth the wait.

**etain lives: **I agree with you, but sometimes just as in our own society, some will never change their views no matter what people do to _prove_ themselves, not that anyone needs to prove themselves in the first place.

**LoveSKINS94: **A question that will be answered in time :) always warms my heart to hear people say how excited they are to future updates :D

And a big thanks again to everyone else who has reviewed so far ^^ Glad you are enjoying it and I hope you continue to do so.


	7. Chapter 7: Forever Marked

**A/N:** The response to the large chapter was overwhelming and I'm glad you enjoyed it so much, all that support was a great motivation up posting this update so soon. Also, this chapter is dedicated to Bellatrix who died 15years ago at the Battle of Hogwarts, R.I.P. Bellatrix, but thankfully you live on through your fans :). There was an error uploading the last chapter where it turned half the story italic, I fixed it quickly but I hope that it didn't put anyone off who caught it. The first part of this chapter is in **italic** for a reason :) A **warning** that this chapter contains** sexual content & violence**. Hope you enjoy Chapter 7 :D

**Disclaimer:** The world of Harry Potter and the original storyline are not mine; they belong to J.K. Rowling.

Read, review and most of all… Enjoy!

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><p><strong>Chapter 7: Forever Marked<strong>

**Hermione**

_Hermione found herself relaxing in the large circular bathtub, her head was laid back and the bubbles came up to her shoulders as she soaked up the relaxing warmth. A pure white mist hung thick in the room, obscuring the world from view, as she lifted and stretched her leg she could only just see the tip of her toes through the haze. The sound of the water gently caressing her body was like a lover's touch, it sung to her, soothed her, all her worries and fears had long since flowed away, all she was left with was a feeling of pure ecstasy._

_She was waiting for something, for someone. The distant sound of something entering the water beyond the mist excited her, ripples approached her, teasing her with the approach of her visitor. A shadow appeared in the dense fog, black and white creating a grey illusion, Hermione tongue flickered out and wetted her lips, her eyes heavy with lust that emphasized her growing arousal. The fog slowly parted and the shadow became a figure._

_Hermione watched as a very naked Bellatrix approached her slowly, she moaned her disapproval at the bubbles hiding most of her body from view. The dark witch's wet black hair clung to her ivory skin, Hermione's eyes lingered over her shoulders, watching them rise and fall as she drew closer, hoping to catch a glimpse of the older woman's perfect breasts. The distance between them was small yet it seemed to take Bellatrix forever to close the gap, one of Hermione's hands came up to her chest and groped her own breast softly, moaning in anticipation._

_Until finally they were face to face. "Hello muddy, fancy seeing you here." The dark witch whispered in her ear, unseen hands gripped Hermione's waist and slowly travelled up and down along her hips and sides. _

_Gulping down hard, Hermione reached out slowly until her hands came into contact with the older witch, they snuck around Bellatrix's body and pulled her in closer. Lips clashed furiously, Bellatrix was relentless and rough, kissing Hermione with a force that would bruise her lips. But Hermione didn't care, in fact she found herself being increasingly turned on by her forcefulness, teeth came down, biting hard on her bottom lip. Hermione moaned in pain and pleasure, her gaping mouth now an open invitation which Bellatrix took advantage of, her tongue trusting into the brunette's mouth. They fought for dominance, waging war with their tongues, Hermione tried to gain the advantage by raking her nails down Bellatrix's back who growled with pleasure and approval._

_Bellatrix's hands came up and roughly grasped Hermione's breasts, squeezing them, kneading down hard on them. Fingers clenched her nipples between their tips, causing Hermione to moan softly into the dark witch's mouth. But Hermione needed more, she lifted her leg and hooked it around Bellatrix's ass, the older witch responded with a knowing look, her eyes were hungry with unbridled passion. A hand left her breasts and travelled slowly down towards their goal, the tips of her fingers teased at Hermione's core, stroking and brushing against her clit and lips slowly, teasingly. _

_Hermione broke away from the kiss. "Bella… Please…" She pleaded as she breathed hard._

_Bellatrix cocked her head to the side, her eyes were big and soft, almost innocent like. "Please what muddy?"_

"_Please… Fuck me…" Her breathing picked up pace, growing further aroused as she begged for it._

_Bellatrix smirked and without warning, thrust three fingers deep into her core. The rough intrusion was both painful and pleasurable, and the sounds that escaped her lips reflected that as she half cried, half moaned out loud. Bellatrix wasn't gentle, which Hermione found more and more arousing by the second as she further encouraged the dark witch to take her. Her hips bucked as she rocked back and forth along Bellatrix's fingers, matching her rhythm as she fucked her hard without mercy. _

_One of Hermione's hand slid around Bellatrix's body and moved down on her, but was swatted away hard by Bellatrix's other hand. Pouting, Hermione slid her hand instead down her own body and rubbed her clit intensely, desperately wanting her release soon so she could return the favour. The older witch's lips kissed down to her neck, finding her pulse point she sucked on it hard and received another long moan of pleasure from Hermione._

"_Bella… I… I can't hold on…" Hermione groaned, her leg fastened around Bellatrix tighter, her insides clamped down on her fingers as she reached her peak. "Bellaaaaa!" She cried out, her head thrown back as she hit her release. Panting heavily, she didn't look up but felt as Bellatrix shifted in front of her. She took a hold of her right arm softly and stretched it out to the side, Hermione was too busy recovering from her orgasm to pay much attention to what Bellatrix was doing._

_That was until Bellatrix's grip turned to iron and the feel of cold metal touched her skin. Panic and fear quickly replaced her heated passion, she tried to move, but couldn't, she was frozen in place. Screams erupted from her lips as dull metal pierced her skin, carving away roughly and slowly at her flesh, agonising pain engulfed her, like she was being burnt alive from the inside out. Each stroke of the blade drew out fresh screams of raw pain and sheer terror, each one louder than the last until she almost shredded her vocal cords. Hermione had no idea how long it went on for, how long Bellatrix was taking to create her new masterpiece, the salty tears of despair stained her cheeks as they made their way down to her lips._

_When it was all over, Bellatrix roughly twisted her arm and brought it up for Hermione to read… 'Whore' was the word carved into her flesh, coloured red by her blood. "You are forever marked muddy, no one will forget what you are… Least of all you." Bellatrix smirked. "Or I should say, everyone will know what you was… When they find your body." _

_Hermione felt her body collapse as it was freed, screams and tears were still flowing freely. Bellatrix grabbed hold of her shoulders tight and shoved her hard, deep under the water. All Hermione could see as she trashed about, was Bellatrix's laughing face above the water until her lungs filled with water and her eyes dimmed…_

Hermione bolted up in her bed panting hard, her body soaked in sweat. Her nightmares had come back with a vengeance since the incident last week, they were darker than ever, playing on her forbidden carnal desires, turning them inside out into something evil.

Slipping out of bed, she headed over to the bowl and water and dapped her face with the small sponge, hoping the cold water would wake her up and also calm her down. The week after passed without much event, with the lack of her wing mate her time over the past few days had quickly descended back into the previous tedious cycle. Nightmares, food, thinking, silence, food, silence, thinking, food, bed, nightmares.

Breakfast was soon delivered with a cold stare from Gabriel, while he hadn't made any further comments since the last one, his face and eyes did all the talking, both of which screamed hate and disgust. Hermione prodded at her food and let her mind freely wander as she ate, at least she had fresh memories to try keep her spirit lifted.

Tonks visit had been most welcome, after Hermione had her little breakdown and sought comfort in the Auror's arms, they gossiped about events outside while joking around and teasingly one another. Tonks did her best to just give just the good news, to keep the mood light, but Hermione wasn't the only one who needed comforting, even although Tonks tried not to give any indication she could use some. Hermione could see the hurt in the Auror's eyes as she avoided certain topics like, about her son Teddy, like about Remus or her father.

Hermione pried, trying to get the Auror to open up to her and after much pouting from both witches, she slowly did. Teddy himself was fine, but he bore the name of her father and was reminded of the fact that she was now a single parent every time she had to get up and see to him. Her mother Andromeda had taken her into her home, both needed each other for comfort and company which Hermione thought was a brilliant idea. The best part of Tonks visit had been all the embracing that had taken place, in those brief moments Hermione could, if only for a minute, forget about all the darkness, the loneliness and the despair.

When Tonks had to leave she promised to visit again soon if she wasn't out by then, that promise was like a light at the end of a dark tunnel, one that Hermione walked closer to as she made it through another day. After the first couple days of never ending silence and boredom, she soon found herself starting to miss the dark witch's presence, the twisted banter and the psychological warfare kept her mind active and sharp. '_The sooner I'm out of here the better, what the hell is wrong with me? Missing Bellatrix? She tried to kill me just last week! Snap out of it Hermione!'_

She sighed and pushed her half eaten food aside, Hermione climbed to her feet and stood on her bed, staring out of the cells grate. Shades of deep blue, dark grey, black and the occasional streak of white were all she could see of the outside world, a storm was raging, she could hear the waves crashing against the rocks below, she could hear the wind howling as the rain lashed against the prison. Standing there she could feel her face grow moist and her hair damp as the shower sought out her face but she didn't care, she was in a sombre mood today and beyond caring, the view from her cell showed her the truth of the world. '_It's not, good or evil, black or white… Just shades of grey.'_

Above the sound of thunder she could hear the familiar sound of boots smacking against the stone floor as they approached, Hermione turned her head slightly to see who was gracing her with their presence. '_Gabriel, of course it would be.'_ She thought as he came into view, a smug look was on his face.

"Mrs Granger. I'm here to escort you." He said in a slightly cheerful voice.

Hermione frowned, she didn't like this change in his demeanour. "Where?"

"Processing." He smiled and pulled out his wand. "Against the wall Granger."

"Processing?" She asked as she slowly stepped down from the bed and headed over to the wall, she knew what was coming and mimicked Bellatrix's actions, her nose pressed against the wall as she kneeled down, her hands crossed behind her back. She felt the heavy iron weights clamp around her wrists and ankles, she tried not to flinch when they chafed against her bare wrists. It was the first time since she had arrived that anyone had used the restraints on her, but after the way Gabriel had been treating her, she wasn't surprised but she was determined not to let him see it bothered her.

"Processing." He repeated as he opened her cell and motioned for her to come out. Hermione frowned and left her cell, taking care not to trip on her own chains as Gabriel ushered her forward down the corridors. The only words spoken were directions as they seemed to travel deeper into the heart of Azkaban which only grew darker with each step.

"In." He said when they reached a large pair of black wooden doors, which Hermione hesitated in passing through.

The room was large and dark, with nearly all of the light focusing on two points in the room, the centre and the back wall. At the centre of the room was a large steel restraining table with numerous leather straps, next to the table was a tray on wheels, even from the door she should see sharp instruments glistening in the light. Fear gripped her heart and she took a step back, stumbling into Gabriel, who grunted with annoyance and held her steady.

"It's ok Hermione, you have nothing to fear." Oswin's voice came from the shadows. Taking another look around Hermione noticed a few people present which brought her instant relief, the last muggle-born hater who had her alone with sharp instruments… Left her mark. "Did Gabriel explain why you're here?"

"He just said processing." Hermione replied and moved into the room a little more, Oswin casted an annoyed look over at Gabriel and shook his head.

"That's… The short of it. We've been trying to put this of, we thought… Hoped you'd be gone before we had to do this…" Oswin trailed off and rubbed at his stubble in annoyance.

"Do… What?" Hermione asked, not liking the way everyone, minus Gabriel was refusing to meet her gaze.

Oswin sighed and approached Hermione slowly, he pulled out his wand and with a flick, vanished her restraints. "Every prisoner in Azkaban is processed and registered on the system… Some paperwork needs filling, a couple of photos need taking and… You need marking." Oswin dropped his gaze and looked around the room, gritting his teeth.

Hermione's heart plummeted as she worked out what Oswin was trying to say. "You mean… I'm… Going to have an ID tattooed on me?" '_Like a common criminal, like a murderer… Like Bellatrix…' _Hermione felt herself choking up. '_I will not cry, I will not cry!'_

"Yes… The Goblins wanted to see proof that you are incarcerated. But since you haven't been processed, we don't have that proof… And the Goblin's won't set foot in Azkaban. They are accusing the Ministry of deceiving them, saying you're just tucked up away in a cosy safe house."

'_Why won't they leave me alone?! I've always been so good to all magical creatures, trying to promote better welfare and a way of life for them… So what have I done to them to make me hate me so?' _Hermione shook her head in the hopes of hiding her pain and heartbreak. "Can't we make it up?" She asked feebly, knowing that would never work.

"I'm afraid not, I'm sure you are aware that Goblins are excellent at spotting forgeries. They would spot it instantly and things could get a whole lot worse." Oswin said apologetically and gently rested a hand on her shoulder, and looked deep into her eyes. Hermione resisted reacting to the interaction and thanked the fact Tonks wasn't present to tease her about Oswin again. "This won't hurt and the sooner it's done…" He said as he began to lead her to the table.

"… The sooner I'm marked forever." She finished glumly as they reached the table. "It is, isn't it…? Permanent I mean?" Oswin's eyes answered for him. "I see…" She said to herself, fighting back the urge to scream and cry, the desire to resist and fight it, she knew neither would do any good.

"Mrs Riley here is our resident mediwitch, who will be preforming the marking." Oswin gestured towards a middle aged woman with fair hair as she stepped forward.

"Morning Miss Granger… I… I've been doing this for thirty years and now I wish I wasn't… I'm so sorry." The woman said with a sad look.

"Don't be. This isn't your fault." Hermione said softly, trying to reassure the woman somehow who looked thoroughly disheartened at the prospect. "What do you need me to do?" She asked with a little smile.

"If you could… Just lay on the table."

Hermione nodded and taking a deep breath she hoisted herself up onto the table and laid back slowly, she starred up at the lights as she felt her body being fastened down. "Ok Miss Granger, the fastenings are just to keep you in place, can't afford any accidental movements. But you will not be conscious for the procedure, is that ok?" Mrs Riley asked.

"Yes." Hermione replied, giving her consent to be marked for the rest of her life, to be judged as a criminal at first glance. A single tear trickled down her cheek as a wand pressed against her and soon her consciousness faded.

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><p><strong>Bellatrix<strong>

Bellatrix was gathering her stuff in the bathroom, ready to take a shower. She looked around the room and frowned at the mudblood's absence. '_My mysterious contractor told me she'd be here! And she isn't!'_

The mystery man had come again last night, he had told her he would get her bathroom privileges back and that Hermione would be sharing with her. He had also told her that once Hermione was in, the barrier would fall a few minutes after she arrived and not come back up till the guards were due to collect them. Bellatrix had accepted his task as far as he was concerned, but the man was a fool if he thought he could control and use Bellatrix the way he saw fit. '_I've served and been betrayed before, it will not happen again!' _But for now she would go along with it for the fun and the thrill of the ride.

She started making her way over to the shower, only to be stopped briefly by the sound of the door unlocking. She turned to watch the door open and in stepped the younger witch followed by the guard Oswin. First Bellatrix made eye contact with the brunette and held her gaze, she seemed different, dejected, broken almost, she gave no suggestion that she was bothered by Bellatrix's presence nor did she voice any objections.

Confused at her docile behaviour, Bellatrix then met Oswin's gaze who frowned at her presence, he moved forward and tested the barrier with his wand several times. Seemingly happy with the results, he then turned to Hermione and whispered something to her, her only reply was a nod and then she walked over to the shelves to gather some things. The guard's gaze followed her as she walked and shut the cubicle door behind her. Oswin brought his head to his forehead and gave Bellatrix one more glance before leaving. '_That was… peculiar.'_ Bellatrix found herself thinking.

'_Oh well, will just make things easier.'_ She thought with a smile and a shrug, she prowled around her half of the bathroom like a wild animal, she considered the paths open to her. '_I'm here, she's here. I'll find out in a few minutes if the barrier stays up… And if it doesn't…'_ A wicked smile graced her lips as an idea came to mind. Walking over to the shelf she picked up one of the bottles and unscrewed the cap, then she waited.

She stared hard at the brunette's cubicle, and when she believed a suitable length of time had passed, she got to her hands and knees and gentle rolled the cap across the floor. Her gaze followed the cap intensely, expecting it to be repelled once it got half way… But it didn't. It kept going till it hit the counters on the other side. Suppressing a cackle, she took of her shoes and slowly got to her feet, she strolled leisurely across the room, taking all the time in the world so she didn't make a sound. Her breathing was slow and steady as she drew closer to the cubicle, she could hear the sound of water pouring down but not much else.

Bellatrix came to a stop at the door, her cheek pressed gently against the door, her mouth hung open in suspense. Her hand came up to the door and tested the lock, if it was locked… Then there went the element of surprise. Gently she eased the handle down and… It opened, inside Bellatrix was screaming out in joy, but on the outside she was dangerously quiet. She slowly edged the door open, the sound of the door creaking was drowned out by the shower as it opened inch by inch, listening to every sound and movement the brunette was making, which was hard seeing as she wasn't making either apparently.

When the gap was large enough she slid in slowly, the curtains dividing the room were drawn. '_This is too easy.' _She thought with a smug as she closed the door and locked it. The brunette's clothes were laying in a messy pile, Bellatrix considering adding hers to it for a moment but decided against it, she wouldn't get what she needed if she went in nude… Or at least not everything she needed.

She could see the black silhouette of the younger witch, standing tall but not moving. Curiosity came over Bellatrix, along with an uneasy feelings. '_Something isn't right.' _She reached out slowly for the side of the curtain that was behind the silhouette, drawing it slightly she peered her head inside.

Hermione had her back to Bellatrix, she was standing naked under the water, her head hanging as she stared down at the floor. Bellatrix momentarily hesitated, the sickening feeling of pity briefly came over her but she pushed it aside as quick as it had come. She took a few moments to take in the brunette's naked form, like her the girl was pale all over with her wet brunette hair clinging down to her shoulder blades, slim slender shoulders sat atop an equally slender back which led down to a small yet round and curvy ass. Bellatrix pouted silently for not being able to see more from her position. '_I'll soon change that.'_ But definitely appreciated what she could see.

'_What am I doing? I got work to do! She could turn at any second!'_ She thought, annoyed at herself for getting distracted and snapped herself out of her thoughts. She pushed slowly through the curtains and pounced once through. She pushed Hermione hard up against the wall, she yelped out in surprise as Bellatrix pinned her arms behind her back and pressed her knees into the back of Hermione's legs. '_Taking no chances this time.'_

"Hello muddy, fancy seeing you here." Bellatrix said sweetly as she rested her chin on the brunettes shoulder. "My my, this is quite the predicament you're in."

"Wha… How… How did you?" Hermione stuttered out in a frightened tone of voice.

"You're not really in the position to ask questions you filthy mudblood whore!" Bellatrix snapped and tightened her grip, causing the girl to cry out. "Now… I realise I may… Have been a bit abrupt last week." Her finger comes up and strokes the side of Hermione's cheek. "But this week, you have a choice. Do you hear muddy?"

"Yes… A choice…" She whimpered out.

"Do you want to know what it is?"

"Yes."

"Yes what?"

The girl doesn't answer at first as she thinks about how to answer. "Yes please?"

It was the wrong answer and Bellatrix tells her that by yanking back hard on the brunette's hair with her free hand. "Bad muddy! Wrong answer! The answer is mistress, now try again."

"Go to hell…" She mumbles.

Despite herself Bellatrix laughs at the bravery of the girl, foolish, but brave then yanks hard again on her hair causing her to scream. "You are such a naughty pet, now one last time, answer incorrectly again and I'll smash your pretty face into the wall, do you hear me?" Bellatrix hisses in her ear.

The girl whimpered, Bellatrix could see the girl trying to fight back the tears. '_She's strong for a mudblood.'_ "Yes mistress." She spat out and Bellatrix gave her hair a quick tug for the hostile tone.

"Well since you asked so nicely, I'll tell you. You can either die, right here right now. Or… You can do as I tell you, in which case you'll live… Probably."

"What… What will you ask me to do?"

"Tell! Not ask!" She hisses. "Whatever I want! Now make a choice, quickly muddy."

The young witch doesn't answer right away, Bellatrix rested her chin back on her shoulder and peered at her face, watching the girl trying to come to a decision, or figuring out how to escape. "Tick tock goes the clock. The mudblood needs to answer. Tick tock goes the clock. Or she will die right hereee." She sings innocently in the witch's ear.

"I'll… Do it… Please… Don't hurt me." Hermione pleads, her gaze darting to the side and meeting Bellatrix's.

"No promises on that front muddy!" Bellatrix releases her slightly and spins her round, pushing her back against the wall. But Hermione has other ideas, she tries to push past Bellatrix only to get turned around on the spot as Bellatrix catches her arm, she swings the younger witch against the wall hard. Hermione cries out in pain and is quickly silenced by two firm backhanded slaps across the face, a knee comes up, and this time round it's Bellatrix who knees the girl in the stomach. "So predictable!" Bellatrix laughs and her fist comes up, splitting the girl's lip when it makes contact, more cries of pain fill the shower.

"I'm sorry! Sorry! Please…" Hermione begs as blood trickles down her lip.

"I always thought you was meant to be the smart one. I guess I was wrong, because that most definitely wasn't smart whore!" Bellatrix growled in her face, pinning her shoulders against the wall. "But I'm in a generous mood today, so I'll give you that as your one and only chance… But try anything again! And I WILL kill you, understand?"

"Yes…" Hermione receives another blistering backhander.

"Yes what!"

"Yes mistress…" She sobs, her cheeks have turned red raw from the force Bellatrix put behind each slap.

"That a girl." Bellatrix says softly and smiles. "Now we're going to play a game… I ask questions, you answer truthfully… And Merlin help you if you try and lie, I will know… And you will die. Now I'm a… Fair person. So you can ask a question for each one I ask." Bellatrix smirks at the confusion in the girls eyes. "Do we have a deal muddy?"

"Yes… Mistress." She quickly adds.

"Good pet. Now! I'll go first." Bellatrix clocks her tongue against her teeth as she decides what to ask first. "Why are you here?"

"The Goblins mistress." Bellatrix gave her a hard and dangerous look to suggest her answer wasn't good enough and she'd best elaborate fast. "The Goblins aren't happy about the break in at Gringotts, and the mass murder… They are holding me responsible and threatened to restrict the wizarding community's access to their gold unless I was locked up."

Bellatrix stared hard at her, trying to work out if the girl was lying. She tried to use legilimency but without a wand and in her current condition, wandless legilimency would only work on someone with no defences at all which sadly the girl had. '_Goblins… If the girl is telling the truth, then they are my likely contractors… Which means they most certainly will try use me and betray me once they get what they want.'_ Her heart plummeted, there would be no freedom, and she knew it had been a lie yet that didn't stop her hopes being dashed.

"I'm not lying mistress." Hermione whispered quietly, her eyes were heavy with fear.

"I know… Well… Your turn." Bellatrix said with a sigh.

She could see the brunette studying her with her eyes, tying to work out the right question to ask, or if she was walking into a trap. "How did you… Get through the barrier mistress?"

Bellatrix smiled. "Someone let me through of course."

"That's not…"

"Not what muddy? And be very careful." Bellatrix hissed.

"Not a full answer mistress…" Hermione quickly shut her eyes and tensed up, obviously expecting a slap for talking back.

Bellatrix grinned and slowly brought a hand up to the younger witch's cheek and gently stroked it then grazed a nail across. "You're right. It wasn't. But it's all I know on the matter… Now, my turn." Bellatrix cocked her head to the side as Hermione opened her eyes, relaxing slightly. "Someone wants you dead, I'm going to take a guess at the Goblins-"

"Someone wants me dead?"

Hermione received another hard backhand. "Don't interrupt mudblood!" Bellatrix's shirks while Hermione's head reels from the impact. "Someone want's you dead, someone here who is working for the Goblin's I'm guessing… Has anyone given you the impression they don't like you here? Apart from me of course."

Her eyes lit up in a mixture of fear and shock. "Yes… Gabriel mistress."

Bellatrix quirked an eyebrow up at that. "Why?"

"Bu… But mistress… It's my turn."

Bellatrix growls, she pulls Hermione forward and slams her back up against the wall hard. "Answer the question muddy! You can have two questions soon." She coo's in the witch's ear.

The brunette nods. "He… Called me a filthy mudblood, said my kind is nothing but trouble… He's always giving me hard looks and treats me roughly mistress." '_Interesting…'_

"Hmm he may be a ministry lapdog but I'm starting to like him, good to see our beliefs didn't die along with the Dark Lord. Your turn muddy."

"How do you know someone wants me dead mistress?" Hermione asks, Bellatrix notes the girl is more curious than afraid.

"Someone came to me in the night, a male. He offered me a deal, if I killed you then I'd be rewarded… But he's a fool for thinking I take orders! Only one person had that right and he's dead! But so far he's lived up to his side… He got me and you here in this room as promised, the barrier was down as promised… All that is left, is for me to kill you." The colour faded quickly from Hermione's face and Bellatrix couldn't help but laugh. "Aww scared muddy? I just said I don't take orders, and as long as you play the game… You'll live, for a while."

Hermione quickly spoke up when Bellatrix paused. "Yes mistress, I'm scared."

Bellatrix's face grew dark, the brunette had just got one over on her, her grip tightened on Hermione and moved close till their noses were touching. "Well aren't you a clever mudblood, answering that question quickly and honestly before I could ask what I wanted… Well, at least you're playing the game." She grinned and softly rubbed her cheek against Hermione's and took a whiff of her. "You smell good for someone so filthy… Now ask your question, you have two."

"Ok… Last week… You tried to kill me, you thought I was someone else, I know that… Who did you think I was and why do you hate them so much mistress?"

Bellatrix pulled back fast and stared deep into her eyes, fuming at the younger witch for going in that direction, fear flashed in Hermione's eyes, realising that was a bad topic. Bellatrix gritted her teeth and debated killing the mudblood there and then, but an idea came to her instead. '_Maybe… I can educate her, in the nature of mudbloods.'_ "Ok muddy, I'm going to tell you a story, listen well."

"I was a rebel when I was young, surprising I know. Always went against my parents, what they told me… What they taught me, as I got older… I found new ways to rebel against them, until I found the perfect outlet for my rebellious nature." Bellatrix paused and studied the girl in front of her, making sure she was following. "I met… a girl… A… _Muggle born_. A Gryffindor girl in my year, she looked a lot like you… Her hair was a little darker, shorter perhaps, her… Breasts weren't as large or perky as yours, her hips were less defined. But other than that, she looked like you and like you she was smart, cunning, and wilful." Bellatrix closed her eyes as the whores face flashed before her.

"We got together, in secret of course. I was rebellious not stupid, I knew what would happen if my family found out. Over time we grew… Close… It went on for… Years." Bellatrix gritted her teeth and her tone grew dark as she spoke of what came next. "We made plans… Everything was going well. Until I caught her, in bed with… Someone I knew… They laughed at me, mocked me… I learned she was only interested in my wealth, my power, my family ties… So I killed them, that day I learned that my family had always been right, mudblood's are abominations! Parasites clinging to our world and sucking the life out of it! Weakening it! That's why you are all filth! That is why you all need to die! For the good of our world… Filthy fucking whores!"

Bellatrix was breathing heavily, staring at the girl who looked back with a look of… Pity? Compassion? Something stung at her eyes. '_Shit! Shit shit shit! I will not cry in front of a fucking mudblood! I will not cry over that whore ever again!'_ Bellatrix quickly looked away and squeezed her eyes shut.

A hand came up and softly rested on her cheek. "I am… So sorry Bellatrix." Hermione said gently. Bellatrix should have struck the girl for touching her, for using her name, but she was too busy trying to fight back the tears.

"Right! I grow bored of this game." She said snarling to the side then looked back at Hermione who hadn't dropped her hand yet. "We're still her for a while muddy, now give me a good reason why I shouldn't kill you now?" She spat out darkly.

Hermione didn't answer, nor did she remove her hand, she stared at Bellatrix and before Bellatrix could react… The brunette had pressed her lips hard against hers.

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><p><strong>AN:** I'm such a tease lol please don't hate me ;) Hope you enjoyed chapter 7 :) Reviews are much appreciated and I'll try update soon x

**DrunknMunky85: **Sorry I almost broke your heart lol, hope this chapter didn't repeat that ;) Since you found teasing fun I made sure I ended on a tease lol.

**Quantumphysica: **Did you foresee these exciting things? ;) lol

**Harley Quinn Davidson: **Very pissed so it seems :o

**LoveSKINS94: **Grateful for your fantastic review :) I'm glad to hear the plot keeps getting better, it's what I aim for lol. After Bella's story I'm sure forgiving muggleborns will be a challenge.

**TrinityTesla: **Sorry for the tears :( hope I don't cause anymore lol

**LauraFlowi: **Hermione has always been an angel ;( so sad how much pain can befall someone so kind.

**Liidg: **Thank you :) and another thank you for providing the inspiration for this story. ^^

**Alexa: **I'm glad you think so :) I've always wanted to write Bellamione but wanted to try something unique-ish, I'm glad people find it so :)

And a big thanks again to everyone else who has reviewed so far ^^ Glad you are enjoying it and I hope you continue to do so.


	8. Chapter 8: Bad Romance

**A/N:** As always thank you for your support, I love hearing how much you all are enjoying it :). I'm not sure if I've done this chapter justice but see the A/N at the end. A **warning** that this chapter contains **very strong sexual content & violence**. Some reviews have been addressed at the end of the chapter. Hope you enjoy Chapter 8 :D

**Disclaimer:** The world of Harry Potter and the original storyline are not mine; they belong to J.K. Rowling.

Read, review and most of all… Enjoy!

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><p><strong>Chapter 8: Bad Romance<strong>

**Hermione**

Hermione had no idea what she was doing, no idea why she was doing it, she wasn't even sure if _she_ was doing it. But hearing the dark witch open up, seeing the human side of her as she tried to hold back the tears and seeing that she had a heart… Hermione was overcome with an unknown urge, a deep longing. She let herself go and allowed her most basic of instincts and carnal desires to take over as her lips claimed Bellatrix's.

'_Oh god… What am I doing?! I'm kissing Bellatrix! I'm willingly kissing a Death Eater!'_ That rational part of her brain was crying out for her to stop her stupidity, but it was easily drowned out by her raging hormones. All she could think about was the naked beauty in front of her, the taste of her full lips and why the hell Bellatrix wasn't responding to her kiss.

Her hand was resting softly on Bellatrix's cheek as her lips crashed against hers, her tongue tried to gain access, flickering across Bellatrix's lips as she kissed her. But still the older witch didn't respond, she did nothing at all, like she was frozen to the spot. '_Why isn't she responding…? I thought she…' _Hermione could see her staring at back at her when she opened her eyes, not in anger, not in hate, confusion maybe? Despite alarm bells ringing inside her head, she tried harder to get a reaction, to get her to understand, her other hand came up and settled on Bellatrix's waist as she bit down on her bottom lip.

When she finally got a reaction it wasn't the one she had hoped for. Bellatrix pulled away and slammed her hard against the wall, she swatted both her hands away and gave Hermione a firm backhand before then grabbing Hermione's face and squeezing down hard on her cheeks. '_I thought… But I guess she doesn't… Of course she wouldn't want to… Why did I even want to?'_ Hermione wasn't sure what hurt more, the blistering backhander she received or being rejected by a beautiful yet insane psychopath.

Hermione couldn't help but whimper as Bellatrix tightened her hold, she tried to keep eye contact with the older witch, hoping to work out or catch a hint as to what Bellatrix was thinking. She was completely at her mercy and it seemed Bellatrix was done talking. '_Oh god what was I thinking? She just told me about being betrayed by someone who looked like me… And what do I do? I kiss her! Stupid stupid me! How insensitive!' _Her fear grew at a tremendous rate as she realising her grave error, Hermione tried to plead, she tried to apologise, to try and reason with her… But every time she went to make a sound, Bellatrix's grip clamped down even harder and all she would manage was an incoherent gargle. Hermione watched as flashes of emotions cycled through Bellatrix's dark orbs, lust, hate, passion, anger, disgust, curiosity.

Bellatrix broke eye contact with her and her eyes trailed down Hermione's body, taking in the clear view of her breasts and her hard pink nipples, Bellatrix's tongue flickered out fleetingly and wetted her lips, the look in her eyes became clear, a yearning hunger. She could feel the eyes on her body travelling down, Hermione couldn't help but blush under the older witch's gaze and instinctively she tried to cross her legs and shield her core from view.

Bellatrix growled lowly and her gaze snapped back up to Hermione's, her dark orbs drilled into her. Hermione watched the conflict raging in the witch's eyes, to take her or to kill her. A similar albeit less crude question was being asked in her mind. '_Why did I kiss her? Why am I… Encouraging her? Why do I want a Death Eater… Bellatrix, to take me? Why am I considering this? Is it to survive? Is it purely desire?'_ Hermione couldn't put her finger on it, those two reasons may have been part of it, but they weren't the deciding factor… Whatever the reason, it went much deeper than that.

Regardless Hermione soon got what she wanted. Bellatrix's lips clashed furiously with hers, the older witch released her grip on Hermione's cheeks and snaked her hand behind her head, weaving a hand through Hermione's hair. Bellatrix soon deepened the kiss, plundering Hermione's mouth with her tongue, quickly forcing Hermione's into submission and dancing around it. Hermione moaned into her mouth at the ferocity of the kiss, she could feel all of the dark witch's weight behind the kiss as she pressed her body against Hermione's.

A hand came up and roughly grasped at her breasts, Bellatrix's hands alternated between pulling and pressing down on her soft flesh. Her fingers pinched hard at her nipples as she dug her nails into her breasts while she abused them, leaving marks as Hermione groaned in pain and pleasure. Determined not to let Bellatrix have all the control, Hermione glided her hands around the witch and slipped them up under her soaking wet top. Taking a guess at what Bellatrix would like, Hermione raked her uncut nails down the dark witch's back, she had never done anything like this before, and her past experiences had always been gentle and loving. But this was far from gentle and loving, the woman in front of her was a sadistic bitch, gentle and loving wasn't in her nature. A few low groans and growls from Bellatrix encouraged her that she was doing something right at least.

Bellatrix pulled away from the kiss but not before biting down hard on Hermione's lip, drawing fresh blood from where she had punched Hermione earlier then laughed. "Muddy knows how to play!" The dark witch giggled hysterically, a laugh that made Hermione's heart flutter and her knees weak. "How bad do you want to play?" Her other hand slipped down and pressed hard up against Hermione's core, her eyebrows quirked up when she felt how aroused Hermione was. "Very badly it seems… You want to be fucked muddy? Is that it? Fucked like a whore by the big bad Death Eater?" Bellatrix purred against Hermione's neck, her hand still pressing hard against her.

Hermione swallowed hard, all her previous feelings of fear had melted away, replaced with the overwhelming feeling of lust. She hung on Bellatrix's every word, she should have felt insulted, disgusted, instead each word just worked up her body even more. '_God how can this feel so wrong… So twisted… When it feels so good?'_ "Yes mistress." She replied, not forgetting to address Bellatrix how she had demanded her to do so. Hermione didn't want this to stop, to hell with her pride and dignity.

"Such a pretty thing… Pity about your blood status and the small fact you'll have to die soon, you would have made such a good pet." The dark witch nipped at her neck between her seductive whispers. "Still… You've perked my curiosity enough to put you to my… Personal use today." Bellatrix's hand leaves Hermione's breasts and moves up to her neck, she sweeps her hair aside slowly as she bites her way up… Then stops.

Hermione shudders as she takes a guess at what Bellatrix has seen to make her stop. The dark witch straightens up and stares at Hermione with a blank look on her face. "Now I see…" She mutters softly to herself, much to Hermione's confusion.

"See what mistress?" Hermione asks in a bewildered tone, slightly annoyed that things had stopped but she wasn't about to voice that out loud.

A finger gently strokes over the area where Hermione received her prisoner ID. "You've been branded, when did they mark you my pet?" The dark witch asks curiously as she cocks her head to the side and inspects it closer, Hermione feels Bellatrix's tongue flicker against it lightly and winces.

"About an hour ago… Was brought here after…" Hermione whispers quietly as she tries to push aside the dismal mood that was born when she woke to her mark.

"And how do you feel? And I mean truly feel."

Hermione takes a few moments to consider Bellatrix's question, her mind keeps coming back to a single word. "Empty." She said flatly. '_Dead inside…'_

"Mmm a lot do after. They add this to you, yet at the same time they may as well be taking away part of your soul. Forever marked, you become just a number, stripped of your identity."

"Did… Did you feel this way?"

Bellatrix clucks her tongue against her teeth and smiles. "No. I wear my mark as a badge of honour, a symbol of my retribution." She moves aside her thick curls and holds her head high as she shows hers off. Then Bellatrix drops her gaze back to Hermione, her fingers trailing down her arm and over the mark she left months ago. "Hmm but how dare they mark you… You already bare my mark, you're my possession! No one defiles my possessions but me!" Bellatrix's hand travelled down Hermione's body, without warning she pushes a digit inside her, making Hermione gasp at the welcome intrusion. "Tell me muddy… Do you want to feel _alive_ again?" Bellatrix asks as she purrs into Hermione's ear.

'_Alive… Yes…_' Bellatrix was right, when they marked her it felt like part of her died inside. Her mark was her identity now, everything she was, everything she done would always come second. Passers-by and people that knew her by name only would look at her and no longer would they see the kind bushy haired bookworm, the goody two shoes, the intelligent muggle-born who helped the save the world. No, they would see a criminal, they would associate her with Azkaban and all the darkness and sorrow that came with it, and despite her innocence they would associate her with the other criminals that dwelled within. Not only now did she have to worry that her blood-status may restrict her future, but also being an ex-con when she was finally released, no matter how innocent she was, her name and face was would be forever achieved as a prisoner of Azkaban.

But when Bellatrix corned Hermione and her fate hanged in the balance, she felt the spark of life, she felt alive again despite the dangerous predicament, and she didn't want to lose that feeling again, no matter what it entailed. Making a decision, Hermione's hand slides down, she grabs a hold of Bellatrix's hand and pushes her deeper into her core. "Yes… More than anything mistress." She moans as she feels the dark witch.

Bellatrix cackles darkly and removes her hand, grabbing Hermione she throws her against the wall directly under the shower. Hermione grunts in pain at the impact while hot water rains down hard against her naked chest, Bellatrix moves in close fast, her hand roughly turns Hermione's head to the side and bites her neck. To Hermione's surprise Bellatrix was gentle with her biting at first, her mouth travelled south slowly, kissing and nipping at her smooth slender neck, working her way down past her collarbone where her bites then became more aggressive.

Hermione watched and moaned as Bellatrix moved down to her breasts, she moved her hands through Bellatrix's wet thick dark curls and pulled roughly in reaction to Bellatrix's mouth. The dark witch growled, her lips vibrating against her pink hard nipples as she took them into her mouth, her tongue lashing against them, curling around as she sucked and bit without mercy. Her hands groped harshly at the base of her breasts, her fingers leaving slow fading imprints all over them.

Hermione moaned, feeling more and more aroused as Bellatrix abused her body, she tried to rub her thighs against each other, to hopefully gain some relief. A firm slap across her thighs told her that Bellatrix didn't approve of her impatience. "Don't be impatient muddy!" She hissed against her nipples and nipped down hard, evoking a cry of pain from Hermione.

"Please… Mistress." She pleads.

"No use begging if you don't tell me what you want whore."

"I… Need you… Need you to… Fuck me…" Hermione moans out between Bellatrix's biting.

Bellatrix grins slyly and places a hand back between her legs. "Hmm… you are soaking muddy." She purrs as she rubs her fingers along Hermione's slit, she pulls hard on Bellatrix's hair and gasps as the older witch teases her clit and folds. "Are you sure you want this?" She asks sweetly.

"Fuck… Yes!" Hermione pouts as she watches and waits for Bellatrix to fulfil her.

To Hermione's frustration, Bellatrix stands up straight and gives Hermione a suspiciously gentle kiss on her lips before backing off. "Well muddy… Come and… Earn it." She says seductively and rests her back on the opposite wall, she grips the bottom of her soaking wet top and pulls it over her head before tossing it aside. Then her hands move behind her back slowly and teasingly she unclips her bra and lets it fall to the floor.

Hermione pouts over being denied when she was so close to getting what she desired, but couldn't deny that she's enjoying the game and the view. She takes a step forward only to be stopped with a disapproving noise from the dark witch. "No muddy!" She hisses. "We are not equals, you are below me! And that's how you should approach your mistress! On your hands and knees whore."

Taken aback slightly, Hermione gives the dark witch a blank stare, who was now tapping her foot impatiently, as if she was waiting for a naughty pet to approach and be scolded by its master. For a split second, part of her thought about escaping while she had the chance but it was quickly pushed aside and silenced by her body's carnal desires, and the need to feel alive. Slowly she drops to her knees then leans forward onto all fours, a soft cooing sound from Bellatrix gave her cause to look up, the view was too erotic and enticing to resist.

Fuelled on by the incredibly sexy sight and the excitement that was burning in her core, she crawled forward towards Bellatrix and sat on her knees in front of her. It wasn't hard for Hermione to guess how Bellatrix had intended for her to _earn _it, she looked up and met the dark witch's hungry eyes and without taking her gaze away, she pulled down softly on Bellatrix's trousers which Bellatrix stepped out of once they reached her ankles. Hermione's hands run softly up the witch's pale, smooth, well-built legs, and came to rest on a pair of wet plain black undies, her lips grazed against Bellatrix's thighs as she started to kiss her way up.

Bellatrix's hands snake their way through Hermione's hair and pulls hard, making Hermione glance up. "I warn you muddy, I don't take kindly to being teased!" Hermione wasn't sure if the witch was being playful or serious, even the smirk she gave Hermione could have swung either way.

When Bellatrix released her grip slightly, Hermione got back to work, her tongue trailed over the wet cotton that covered the older witch's core. Her fine musky scent engulfed Hermione's senses, if Hermione had any doubt about what she wanted right now, they were soon driven away by the aroma and the slightly salty taste on the tip of her tongue. Hooking her fingers under the underwear, she pulled them down slightly and let them slide to Bellatrix's ankles, she eyed the dark witch's core and couldn't help but lick her lips in anticipation.

Leaning forward she planted small kisses on the inside of Bellatrix's thigh and worked her way up to her goal, ignoring the inpatient hissing of the Death Eater above. Her lips brushed against Bellatrix's core before then trailing her tongue all the way up her slit slowly, her fingers started to rub slowly at Bellatrix's folds while her mouth found the witch's clit and nipped at it between her teeth.

"Muddy… What… Did I… Say…" Bellatrix tried to growl out, but even she couldn't maintain her hostile tone when Hermione started to suck on her clit, her tongue darting over the sensitive spot as she drew it into her mouth with her lips, burying her mouth into the older woman. "Yesss!" She hears Bellatrix's hiss out, her fingers continue to work on her folds, spreading her juice all over before parting them and sliding her fingers deeper along it.

Hermione sucks hard on Bellatrix's clit and releases it with a loud pop, her tongue flows down and follows her fingers between her folds, lapping up some of her juices as she goes down. Hermione's tongue flickers above her goal, the dark witch pushes her down forcefully, grinding herself against Hermione's mouth, before she then slips her tongue inside. Bellatrix moans and bucks her hips, her hands tangled securely into Hermione's hair as her tongue plunges deep inside the woman.

One of her hands travel up and her fingers toy with Bellatrix's clit while her tongue trashes about inside her, she alternates between withdrawing and thrusting it back in, pulling away occasional to suck and bite on her folds before fucking her some more with her tongue. Erotic sounds fall freely from the Death Eater's mouth as she continues to voice her encouragement. "Yes… Faster! Ahhh… Yes muddy! That's it!"

Bellatrix continues to buck her hips and grind against Hermione's mouth, her hands gripping her hair tighter as she pushes Hermione as close to her core as she can go. Hermione's other hand comes up as she pulls her tongue out, Bellatrix growls her disapproval but is soon silenced when Hermione pushes two digits deep into her. "More!" She throws her head back as she moans. Obeying, Hermione pushed a third digit in and begins to fuck the older woman hard and fast, guessing that Bellatrix wasn't the type who enjoyed slow and gentle.

Her three fingers pump harder and faster into Bellatrix, while her other hand plays with her clit. Leaning in close again, Hermione continues to lap her tongue between her folds, the sensation of being pleased in three ways has Bellatrix going hysterical above her, her body is thrashing about, loud moans of ecstasy escape her lips as she rocks in rhythm to Hermione's fingers.

"Yes muddy! Yes! I'm… I'm…" Bellatrix doesn't need to finish her sentence, Hermione feels her body grow stiff as her muscles clench down on her fingers, soaking her fingers in her juices as she reaches her climax. Hermione lets her ride out her orgasm on her fingers before slowly pulling out, Bellatrix pulls her hair and forces her to look up. "Not… Bad… For a mudblood… Whore…" She groans out, her breathing hard and fast, then she gives Hermione a sly smirk. "You worked so… Hard for that… Don't waste a drop."

Hermione blushes at the compliment and feels dirty yet aroused at Bellatrix's not so subtle hint, she tries to look down and fulfil Bellatrix's demand but is held firmly in place. "Ah ah no muddy… Fingers first, and don't break eye contact."

A small grin appears on the corner of Hermione's lips, and slowly, without looking away, she cleans her fingers one by one, sucking the exquisite juice of each digit before then flickering her tongue over her hand and cleaning up the remainder. Bellatrix's purrs at the sight, her eyes heavy with lust, releasing Hermione's hair she allows her to finish cleaning the rest of Bellatrix's lower body.

"Good whore… Now… If I remember, you wanted to be fucked… Do you still want to be fucked muddy?" Bellatrix asks sweetly as she looks down.

"Yes mistress." Hermione replies staying seated on her knees, she wasn't that foolish to presume she knew what Bellatrix intended for her, if indeed she still intended anything.

Bellatrix lower herself to her knees and gives Hermione a quick deep kiss, then cocks her head to the side. "Mmm I taste good… Ok muddy, on all fours."

Hermione blinks in confusion. "Mistress?"

"You want to be fucked don't you? Then get on all fours!" Bellatrix snaps.

Hesitantly Hermione obeys and moves back to all fours in the middle of the shower, back under the hot water which hammered against her back. "Now… Like I said, you're below me… Muggles, mudbloods, you're just animals compared to a pureblood like myself…" Bellatrix's cold tone sends a shiver down Hermione's spine as she watches the dark witch kneel at her side. "And since you was acting like a bitch on heat, that's how you'll get fucked…"

The dark witch runs a finger slowly down Hermione's spine, her nail grazing her flesh while Hermione tries to look back over her shoulder, watching Bellatrix curiously. Bellatrix leans forward, her tongue flicks out to draw a line up her body and kisses the back of Hermione's neck as her hand travels slowly over her round ass. Hermione saw it coming, yet it didn't stop her yelping in surprise when Bellatrix's hand smacked her ass hard, her other hand grabs a tuff of Hermione's hair and pulls back sharply before delivering another smack across her ass.

"You was right muddy you know…" Bellatrix spoke sweetly as she delivered another hard spank. "What you said the night I arrived back here… About me being aroused that day when I… Cut you." She purred into Hermione's ear as she leant over her. "I do so enjoy causing pain…" Her hand smacks Hermione's ass again, the pain from the continued strikes causing her to cry our louder. "But I never would have guessed you enjoy receiving it…"

As if to prove her point, Bellatrix slides her hand further down and slips it between Hermione's legs, and shortly after her fingers soon come into contact with the soft flesh of Hermione's core. Her fingers tease at Hermione, running along her slit and playing gently with her clit while cocking her head to the side and smiling innocently. Hermione groaned and tried to push back on her fingers, the look in Bellatrix's eye suggested what she was about to do was far from innocent.

Hermione loved being right, and this time was no different as she felt the rough intrusion of Bellatrix's fingers, starting off immediately with three digits as Hermione cried out in pain and pleasure. Just like in everything else Hermione had experienced with the dark witch, Bellatrix showed no mercy or compassion and least of all she didn't hold back as her fingers pumped furiously deep inside her. "Yes… Oh fuck… Yesss…" Hermione cried out every time Bellatrix's digit's fingers slammed deep inside her and it wasn't long till Bellatrix decided that three digits wasn't enough.

"My, you're so wet you filthy whore! I bet I can easily do this…" Bellatrix purred seductively, she pulled at one of Hermione's legs, making her spread herself wide then pushed a forth finger into the fray, easily yes, without pain, no.

Hermione cried out even louder, more in pain then pleasure this time as Bellatrix fucked her with most of her hand. "Ahh fuck! Oh… Fuck… That… That…" Hermione tried to call out but was interrupted by the force of which Bellatrix's was trusting inside her.

"Hurts does it muddy?" Bellatrix asked with false concern.

"Ye… Ahhh… Yes mistress!" Hermione whimpered out but made no move to stop Bellatrix.

"Want me to stop?" Hermione couldn't tell if the dark witch was being sincere or not but it made little difference as Hermione shook her head violently, not caring for the grip Bellatrix still had on her hair.

"Fuck… No mistress!" She cried out loudly as she felt Bellatrix's relentless motion pick up speed.

Bellatrix laughed and leaned down close to her ear. "Good thing I had no intention of stopping then whore." She whispered and released her grip on Hermione's hair.

It took a few moments for Hermione to adjust herself to the new experience, she could feel the strain on her body and the aching between her legs, but couldn't deny how good it felt. '_God… If I could see myself now… Being fucking on all fours by an insane psychopath, and thoroughly enjoying it… I'd think myself insane too.'_ Shaking her head, Hermione pushed back on Bellatrix's hand, rocking on her hands and knees in rhythm with the other woman. As Bellatrix fucked her faster, harder and deeper, Hermione started making noises she didn't even know she was capable of, the raw and primal grunting and groaning of ecstatic passion.

Bellatrix cackled at the noises erupting from Hermione's lips, clearly pleased with the reaction she was causing, her free hand reached under Hermione and groped at her breasts while she leant forward to bite her shoulder. Hermione's knees were becoming sore and her arms were starting to shake, she could feel herself getting closer to her peak and increased the pace at which she rocked, hoping to push herself over the edge soon.

Inevitably her whole body began to tremble as her muscles clenched down on Bellatrix's fingers. "Bellaaaaaa!" Hermione screamed as she climaxed, unable to take it anymore her arms collapsed and her head came to rest on the wet floor, gasping for breath.

"Such a good pet." Bellatrix cooed sweetly, Hermione watched her out of the corner of her eyes. The dark witch took a finger to her mouth and tasted her juices. "Mmm, not bad for mud… Here muddy, my hand needs cleaning." Bellatrix shoved her hand in front of Hermione's mouth, whose tongue came out and slowly licked at her digits.

Smirking, Bellatrix stood up and for a moment cocked her head to the side as she admired her handiwork, Hermione sat up and wondered what was going to happen next. "Well… Unexpectedly this was quiet fun muddy, I'm only mildly disappointed I didn't kill you." She bent down low and kissed Hermione's forehead before turning on her heels, she then picked up her clothing and made her way for the door.

"Wait…" Hermione said after finding her voice again. "Where are you going?"

"Going?" Bellatrix casted a look over her shoulder, a small grin played about her lips as her eyes dropped down Hermione's body. "Back to my side muddy, before the barriers back up."

"But… What happens now?"

"Now? Nothing, it was just a shag muddy." She replied simply with a shrug. '_Ouch…'_ Hermione thought as something pricked at her heart.

Hermione shook her head and tried to speak evenly, hoping not to show anything that might betray how she felt about that hurtful comment. "I… I didn't mean that…"

Bellatrix frowned in confusion, pausing for a few seconds to figure out what Hermione meant. "Oh I see… Well, no doubt whoever wants you dead will wonder why I didn't kill you. Nothing you need to fret over."

"What will you say?"

Bellatrix shrugged again and headed over to the door and unlocked it. "I'll think of something, and if I were you I'd keep this to yourself… You never know who you can trust, tell the wrong person and… Well, I'm sure you can guess muddy." Bellatrix opened the door and started to step through it before giving Hermione one last look. "Oh and… That story I told you? Utter a single word to anyone and I'll make you choke to death on that extremely talented tongue of yours… Catch you later… My pet." Bellatrix winked and with that, slipped out.

Hermione sat there confused look and with a frown, unsure how she should be feeling right now. '_I just willing fucked and got fucked by a Bellatrix Lestrange… And I loved it.'_ Smiling to herself about what just happened, Hermione decided to just enjoy the feeling and worry about her conscious later. For now at least the empty feeling was gone and thanks to Bellatrix, she felt alive again.

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><p><strong>AN:** Hope you enjoyed chapter 8 :) Like I said before I'm not entirely sure I did this chapter justice, but can't put my finger on it, tried to show you Hermione's line of thought through this chapter about well… *Shrug* Never mind, maybe I'm just nervous lol. Another Bellamione fic is in the making so keep an eye out for it ;) Reviews are much appreciated and I'll try update soon x

Be sure to check out **DrunknMunky85's **Bellamione fic entitled **Fruits of Love** a long and fantastic story about Bellatrix and Hermione.

**DrunknMunky85: **Answers to those questions will come in time ;) And it is a shame yes, but after rebelling and being shown her parents were right all along, she would resent them even more.

**LoveSKINS94: ** Yep you're right, being shown her parents were right would have made her hate muggleborns even more. Marking her was something I wanted to do since I started the fic :D evil of me I know lol, for now Bella hasn't killed her. But who knows she may change her heart again later.

**Greyella: **Thank you for your fantastic review :) I'm glad you are enjoying it and I hope you continue to do so ^^.

**Alexa: **Hard not to want a beautiful woman despite what she's done when you've been mostly alone and secluded for weeks, also doesn't help when that woman flaunts herself lol

And a big thanks again to everyone else who has reviewed so far ^^ Glad you are enjoying it and I hope you continue to do so.


	9. Chapter 9: Guilty Attraction

**A/N:** Thanks you for all the reviews and support :) They are very much appreciated. Tonight is a double dossing of Bellamione action ^^ The Future Black, my second Bellamione story has also been updated. This one will remain my primary project with TFB taking over once this is done. I know some will have questioned Hermione's behaviour from the last chapter, this chapter will shine some light on it as well as future chapters.

Some questions from the previous chapter have been addressed at the end ^^ Enjoy :)

**Disclaimer:** The world of Harry Potter and the original storyline are not mine; they belong to J.K. Rowling.

Read, review and most of all… Enjoy!

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><p><strong>Chapter 9: Guilty Attraction<strong>

**Bellatrix**

Bellatrix was grinning to herself as she finished drying her hair, her mind kept drifting back to the mudblood girl and what had taken place ten minutes ago. She looked casually over her shoulder at the girl who, was frantically trying to get ready and cover up a couple of marks Bellatrix had left on her exposed skin before the guards returned. She cackled and gave the girl an innocent smile when the brunettes gaze snapped to hers and was happy to see she was still flustered and weak at the knees, even by the time the guards turned up.

Bellatrix rested against the counter seductively as Oswin and Gabriel entered, her mischievous expression masking her intend. She studied both the guard's expression when they saw Hermione alive and well, looking for the slightest hint that would betray their covert identity if indeed one of them was her mysterious contractor. Unfortunately both acted preciously how they usually acted, no shock or disappointment hung behind their eyes, either they had nothing to do with the contract on the brunettes life, or they were very highly skilled in the art of deception.

'_Cissy could work this out in a heartbeat; deception has always been her way of life. The typical pureblood wife and mother, who attends public events and boasts at snobby pureblood gatherings about her family, no one would ever guess how highly skilled she was in the dark arts.'_ Sadness spread out throughout her heart as she thought fondly of her little sister, her veiled emotions forgetting briefly about Narcissa's betrayal. Bellatrix casted a glanced over at Hermione who seemed also to be watching the guard's curiously while engaging Oswin in conversation.

Gabriel approached the barrier, he aimed his wand at her and with a quick flick he conjured and bound her with a heavy pair of iron manacles. Once she was firmly secured, he dropped the barrier and motioned for her to come forward.

"Unfortunately we have to move you back to own cell today. But mark my words, if you step a toe out of line you'll be straight back in solitary confinement Mrs Lestrange." Oswin said darkly, glaring at her before patting Hermione's shoulder sympathetically.

"Believe me…" Bellatrix cooed sweetly. "That might not be as unfortunate as you believe." She grinned slyly and her gaze flashed to Hermione for a split second to see her reaction. To her displeasure the girl kept her expression neutral at best and refused to look in her direction.

Oswin raised an eyebrow at the comment but let it drop before turning to the brunette and then started to lead her out. Bellatrix frowned and begun to follow; pushing past Gabriel as she made her way to the door, the sound of something being crushed underfoot gave Bellatrix cause to look back. She watched as Gabriel moved his foot and bent down to pick up the remains of the cap she had rolled across the floor earlier, frowning he inspected it between fingers and glanced over at the shelf before looking at Bellatrix.

His expression flickered slightly before pocketing the cap and ushering Bellatrix out of the bathroom. Bellatrix smiled to herself as she walked ahead. '_Interesting.'_

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><p>The remainder of the day proved to be completely uneventful as the younger witch kept to herself, huddled in the corner with her face buried between her knees and didn't make a sound. Bellatrix at first couldn't care less about what was wrong with the girl, instead she just used the time to relax her back on a proper size bed after having been forced to sleep in a ball for the past week.<p>

Her mind turned to her mysterious contractor, what his identity possibly was and if he'd show his face anytime soon. _'Gabriel.'_ She thought to herself as she remembered what Hermione had told her earlier, was he the one who was in the Goblin's pocket? It was him who erected the wards earlier, so he would have known how to lower them without drawing attention to himself. Bellatrix also recalled the odd look that briefly graced his face when he retrieved the cap, she had seen it enough times before and if it was what she thought it was… Then her contractor was a far bigger threat than she originally believed. '_Muddy needs to be very careful, something isn't right…'_

Bellatrix froze in place a few seconds after that line of thought, blinking in disbelief when she realised she had just been voicing her worries about the girl's safety in her head. '_Hmph… I'm not concerned about the Mudblood… I just don't like to share my toys.' _Bellatrix repeated that line over and over several times in her head but frustratingly it didn't eliminate the sickening feelings that were spreading's their poisonous roots every time she thought about the mudblood. Bellatrix turned to look at her and despite herself, smiled slightly; it did feel good to be wanted again, even if that want was just lustful desires.

As the day dragged on and she grew more and more bored, Bellatrix slowly started to become frustrated and annoyed at Hermione's silence, and her sudden change in behaviour. But it wasn't until after dinner and lights out did she finally give in.

She looked over at the brunette who was lying on her side with her back to her, judging from her breathing, Bellatrix guessed she was still awake. "Ok muddy, your silence is starting to irk me. If I remember right I left you alive and satisfied, not as a cowering wreck, what changed?" Bellatrix asked trying to keep her tone sweet, hoping it would lure Hermione out to play.

A deafening silence filled the air, Bellatrix had no idea how long she waited for a reply and it wasn't until she was about to speak up again did the brunette's reply came. "Nothing _Lestrange_, it was just a shag." Hermione said shortly without looking up in a quiet yet cold and bitter tone of voice. An involuntary cold shiver ran down Bellatrix's spine at the girls sharp tongue as she twisted and repeated Bellatrix's earlier words.

To Bellatrix's surprise the comment slipped through her natural thick skinned defences with ease and as much as she tried to deny it, hurt her. She dug her nails into her palm trying to control her anger; she didn't want to give the guard's a reason to send her away back to solitary confinement anytime soon. She tried to get Hermione's attention again, probing her with her sweet tongue, trying to get under her skin and find out what she was thinking. But the younger witch didn't utter another single word, eventually Bellatrix gave in to exhaustion and fell asleep, and just before she fell fast asleep, a single word fell from her tired lips. "Hermione…"

* * *

><p>Bellatrix woke with a small yelp when she felt a jolt prick at her skin. Feeling absolutely shattered she sat up and growled as she looked around, it was still the middle of the night and the girl opposite looked to be fast asleep. Believing she was imaging things, Bellatrix grumbled with annoyance under her breath as she lay back down and tried to fall back asleep.<p>

"Mrs Lestrange." The mysterious masked voice of her contractor penetrated her ears just before she could close her eyes.

"Go away!" Bellatrix hissed in defiance, growling in frustration knowing that sleep wouldn't be returning anytime soon now. "Some of us need sleep."

"This time tomorrow you could have been getting all the sleep you desired in your own bed as a free woman. Yet, you failed us Mrs Lestrange. Why?" The voice asked coldly and Bellatrix found herself rolling her eyes at his attitude.

Bellatrix yawned and stretched casually, purposely dragging out the time it took her to reply. "Did I? Can't say I noticed." She replied sweetly and cackled lightly as she arched her back.

"Do not believe you can play games with me. You agreed to kill the girl for us, yet she lives."

Bellatrix slipped out of her bed carefully, she moved towards the bars slowly and quietly. Although she doubted someone so apparently skilled in deception would be caught out in such a simple manner, she still tried to catch a glimpse of him from her cell. She could see the vague silhouette of the man but he was so cloaked in darkness that she couldn't even judge his height, let alone anything else.

"Why don't you come a little closer, I'm having trouble hearing you." Bellatrix purred, laying on a very thick seductive tone hoping it would entice him towards her.

The man cloaked in shadows didn't budge. "A poor effort Mrs Lestrange."

Bellatrix scowled and stuck her tongue out childishly at him before catching a glimpse of the girl turning in her sleep from the corner of her eye. "What about _her?_ What if she hears you?" She asked quietly, her eyes not leaving the sleeping figure of the girl. Hermione must have been wriggling a lot in her sleep, her blanket was only partly covering her and the legs of her pants had ridden far up her thighs, revealing her long smooth and slender legs. She purred at the sight and tried to imagine what they would be like wrapped around her waist.

The mysterious man's voice snapped her out of thoughts before she got too carried away. "A silencing charm is in effect; even if she woke up she wouldn't be able to hear us. All she'd see was a mad old woman muttering to herself." Bellatrix snarled at the insult, oh how she wished she could get her hands on this man who believed he could order her of all people around and disrespect her. "You didn't answer the question, why is she still alive?" He asked again, his speech modification charm failing to mask his growing impatience.

Her hands wrapped around the bars as she pulled herself close to them, her cheek coming to rest on the cold iron. "Hasn't anyone told you?" She whispered slowly, her tongue darted out across her lips then grinned. "I like to play with my food before I eat it."

"Mrs Lestrange-"

Bellatrix cut the man off with a loud cackle, one of her hands left the bars and came up to her hair where she casually played with her stray curls, just like how she was playing with him. "If you wanted a common murderer, you could have approached anyone. But you came to me… She will die, slowly… _Inside_ _and_ _out_." She said in a deadly whisper, pausing after she stressed out the last three words, letting them sink in before carrying on. "I think that will appease your employers very much."

A long silence followed, if it wasn't for the silhouette of the man remaining exactly where he was, Bellatrix could have sworn he had left. "It would. But I warn you, do not cross us. We got you your privileges back; we got you where you needed to be today and lowered the barrier for a second time for you. Thus far we've kept up our side of the deal; if you want your freedom, you'll have to kill the girl soon."

"What do you mean, a second time?"

Another silence followed, as if he was debating with himself about how much he should tell Bellatrix. "When you… Attacked Miss Granger last week. I lowered the barrier to see if you'd live up to your reputation. You did."

"You were testing me?" Bellatrix asked, she wanted to snap at the man for luring her into something to suit his and his employers own needs. But her curiosity got the better of her and so she forced herself to stay calm.

"In a way… But to make sure you… Preformed shall we say? You had a little something added to your breakfast that morning to… heighten your senses."

Bellatrix's eyes grew wide in disbelief and anger. "You drugged me?!" She shrieked out in fury, the palms of her hands slamming into the bars.

The shadowed figure was unaffected by her anger, if anything his voice seemed slightly pleased about it. "Think of it more as a little boost, we gave you something that would alert you to the slightest change of magic in the air. How else would you have known the barrier had fallen? We also gave you something that would… Play on your hatred."

"You dare think you can control me!? I was the Dark Lord's most faithful and devoted servant! His strongest lieutenant!" Bellatrix screeched, unable to contain her anger at the fact that they had the nerve to try and manipulate her. '_That explains the hallucinations I had… Why I saw the whore instead that day.' _Something else then dawned on Bellatrix, if they had drugged her, could they have drugged Hermione too?

"Perhaps it was a precaution too far. Yet it's worked out in your favour, we still need the girl dead and we are willing to give you another chance… If you are up to it."

"Of course I am!" Bellatrix snapped. Of course Bellatrix had no intention of doing as she was told, she knew that her contractor couldn't be trusted and would betray her the second she carried out the task. But that didn't mean she couldn't drag it on for as long as possible and have fun along the way.

"Good. Three nights from now both your cell doors will be opened. Finish the job."

Bellatrix couldn't help but laugh at that. "And if I choose to escape?"

A short silence fell again before he answered her. "You won't get far. Be sure to eat your dinner that night, there will be a little something to keep you energised… Now, Good night Mrs Lestrange."

Without another word the figure cloaked in darkness started to disappear down the corridor, his footsteps not making a single sound as he drifted away. Bellatrix stuck her tongue out at his back then looked over at the sleeping figure opposite her. '_Well muddy, I guess we'll be having another little chat sooner rather than later.'_

* * *

><p><strong>Hermione<strong>

Three days later and Hermione woke up in another miserable mood, since what had taken place in the bathroom a few days ago, Hermione's nightmares had changed. They still revolved in some way around Bellatrix, but in these ones it was her friends and everyone she cared about that hurt her. In her nightmares they found out what she had willing done and allowed to happen with Bellatrix, they forsook her but not before labelling her a traitor amongst other things.

Even now she was awake she could see their hurt and betrayed faces, Harry's and Tonks's were the worst. '_SHE KILLED SIRIUS! HOW COULD YOU WHORE YOURSELF TO THAT CREATURE?!" _Harry had screamed at her, he looked like he could have struck her but even in her nightmares Harry wasn't capable of such a thing, instead Ginny had given her a brutal slap. '_I… Thought… You and I had something, you loved me once and I thought… Hoped that maybe we could, start over one day… But instead you went off with her, after all she's done…'_ Tonks had whispered out her heartbreak while tears streamed down her face.

After returning to her cell that day and once her carnal desires had subsided, she was mentally assaulted by overwhelming and sickening guilt, disgust and shame. Her nightmares had only heightened what she felt, even now, three days later those feelings hadn't faded in the slightest. Her behaviour that day absolutely disgusted her to the point where bile would travel up and get lodged in her throat every time she thought about it. She had succumbed so easily to her dark desires, she willingly gave herself up to the dark witch and allowed Bellatrix to humiliate and degrade her.

'_What the hell was I thinking?! I happily settled for a quick fuck with a monster that has ruined countless lives and hurt people close to me…'_ Her mind turned to Harry, to Neville, two people that called her their friend, which had suffered losses at the hands of Bellatrix. Harry had lost his godfather Sirius to her and Neville's parents had been tortured to the point of insanity by Bellatrix. She and the boys had also lost a very dear friend to her, Dobby the free house elf who had met his death at Bellatrix's hands after he saved them from Malfoy Manor. Hermione's eyes started to swell up at the thought of Sirius, of Dobby, of hurting all those she cared about; she gave herself a sharp pinch to stop the tears. '_No I don't deserve to feel sorry for myself… I deserve to feel this guilt and shame…'_ Her mind then wondered over to the other people closest to her that she had betrayed by what she had done, Ron and Tonks.

Ron… He was meant to be her boyfriend, he was meant to be the love of her life… Hermione was unable to help herself as she made a sarcastic sound at that. '_If he was the love of my life then I would never have given myself up without a fight to Bellatrix…' _The sad fact was that one look from Bellatrix, one kiss from the dark witch's lips, filled her with more passion and lust then her entire time with Ron combined had ever did, it wasn't even remotely close. '_Oh Ron… I'm so sorry…'_ Hermione knew that the first thing she had to do when she left Azkaban was end it with the redhead, he in no way deserved to be cheated on with a murderer.

Tonks on the other hand… Hermione had always believed Tonks to be her true love; she had certainly been her first, in many aspects… And even when Tonks had got together with Remus, Hermione never stopped loving the young Auror, nor did part of her ever stop wanting her. Hermione fully understood how she used to feel about Tonks, how part of her still did and that's what was worrying Hermione the most… For despite how she felt for the Auror, she never felt as alive, never as closely connected, never as free as she did in that short moment with Bellatrix… The thought that there was a possibility she felt something deeper than sexual desire for the Death Eater terrified her. '_If they ever found out what I did… Harry, Ron, Neville… Tonks… Everyone. They'd hate me; I don't think I'll ever be able to look them in the eye again…'_

Hermione threw a hateful look over in Bellatrix's direction but it immediately softened as soon as her eyes settled on the sleeping woman's peaceful face, the older witch didn't deserve her hate, at least not for what happened. She did spare her life and was honest and upfront about what she wanted, the dark witch saw something she wanted and had no quarrel with taking it without a care in the world. Bellatrix was just being Bellatrix.

There was something about the older witch that had Hermione's inquisitiveness working overtime, she was an enigma, the dark witch who hated muggle-borns with a passion had loved one once and perhaps still did judging by the pained look that hung about her eyes when she told her story. Hermione was starting to believe that there was far more to Bellatrix then met the eye and she felt her curiosity would never be sated until she cracked the surface and uncovered her secrets. Hermione smiled slightly, the mystery revolving around Bellatrix was almost as alluring as her beauty… Hermione gave herself another hard sharp pinch as her thoughts about Bellatrix started to turn sympathetic and complimentary. '_God… I can't even feel guilty without still desiring her.' _

She sighed and shook her head before looking away. '_Bellatrix hates me, I disgust her and she doesn't hide that, yet I was so willing to screw her… While she verbally abused me… And I had enjoyed it… Even now despite all the guilt and shame I feel, I'm still admiring her… What the fuck is wrong with me…' _Although as much as she hated herself for what she had allowed to take place, and as much as she tried to, she couldn't bring herself to regret the act itself, it was the twisted silver lining in her dark cloud.

All in all, Hermione found her state of mind to be in a complete and utter mess, it was almost as if someone had let Crookshanks loose in her head where he had mistaken her brain for a ball of twine. All her morals, her emotions and her feelings were twisted and tangled, crisscrossing into a never ending labyrinth. She was thoroughly mentally and emotionally torn in half over it. Although she felt truly guilty, ashamed and disgusted with herself about what had happened, she also still felt drawn to the older witch, she still smiled when she thought about her, and she still felt butterflies flutter about her stomach when their gazes met. Over the past couple days Bellatrix had tried hard to get her attention, her methods varying. More than once Hermione had almost given in to Bellatrix's seductive singsong voice and it had taken all of her restraint not to engage with the dark witch.

She sighed and stared up at her ceiling, wondering what the day would hold for her. However she didn't need to wait long when a familiar voice then broke the morning silence and found its way to her ears. "Wotcher!"

Hermione's head snapped to the side and looked over to the source of the voice, where she saw the young Auror standing in the corridor. A sharp stab of guilt pierced her heart when their gaze's met and Tonks smiled warmly at her. "Tonks!" She yelled out in surprise and quickly she got out of bed. "I wasn't expecting you today." Hermione forced a smile to mask her guilt as she moved closer to the Auror, in the background she could see Bellatrix's sleeping figure behind Tonks and the rippling guilt intensified.

Tonks's smile broadened as she whipped out her wand, with a few effortless strokes the gate to her cell appeared. "Thought I'd surprise you." She said happily as she stepped through into Hermione's cell and without warning hugged her. Hermione returned the hug despite the sickening reminder of her betrayal looming in the background. "Now I hope you don't mind if I crash on your bed for a while." Tonks let her go with a yawn and stretch before waltzing over to Hermione's bed and collapsing on it.

"Tired?" Hermione giggled slightly; trying hard to push aside her guilt she took a seat on the edge of the bed next to Tonks.

The Auror groaned into the pillow. "Knackered, please do me a favour. Swap places with me…"

Hermione blinked slowly in confusion and frowned. "What?"

Tonks looked up from the pillow and pouted. "I'll stay in Azkaban and you can take my place at home."

"Why? Is something wrong?" Hermione asked softly as she rested a hand on Tonks's shoulder, feeling concerned.

"I've had… The longest fucking week ever. If I knew what moving into mums would entail I would have apparated to the other side of the bloody world." Tonks grumbled immaturely, giving Hermione her big warm eyes as she looked for sympathy, but Hermione was too confused as to what Tonks meant. "I've had my aunt round most days this week."

"Mrs Malfoy?" Hermione asked, not hiding her surprise at the fact that Narcissa Malfoy, a pureblood fanatic would be socialising with her _blood traitor_ of a sister. 'S_he must be trying hard to change; she took a big risk betraying Voldemort… Perhaps making amends with her older sister is the next step in the right direction.'_

"Yep… I never knew my mum could be such a bloody pureblood snob, gossiping with her all day long, both of them kept trying to dress me up…" Tonks moaned out as she sat up, her arms folded as she continued to pout. "I'm a 25 year old Auror, not some kind of damn doll. Criticizing what I wore, the way I spoke, how I picked up my damn knife and fork. It has been… Hell!"

Hermione laughed slightly then hit Tonks across the arm. "Ow! Hey what was that for?"

"I thought it was something serious." Hermione said with a sigh and a playful frown.

Tonks mouth dropped open as if she had just been slapped. "This is serious! They are driving me insane!"

Hermione shook her head smiling. "Come now they can't be that bad, Bellatrix grew up with them and she's… Oh yeah…" She quickly bit down on her tongue when she let Bellatrix's name slip and quickly made something up to cover up her blunder. Thankfully Tonks didn't notice anything odd about her mentioning Bellatrix like that.

"Exactly." The Auror whispered quietly with feigned fear as she cocked her head to the side. A fresh surge of guilt passed through Hermione, her brain had quickly made the connection between Tonks and Bellatrix after witnessing Tonks's innocent little motion.

The sound of Bellatrix cackling in the background caused both Hermione's and Tonks heads to snap in her direction. "I guess some things never change, Cissy and Andy were quiet the insufferable pair at times when they were younger." Bellatrix said innocently and smiled briefly when her gaze met Hermione's.

"Lestrange…" Tonks growled out darkly.

"Hello my dear little niece." Bellatrix slipped out of her bed and Hermione's jaw almost hit the floor at the sight. The dark witch seemed to have decided against wearing pants to bed and stood there, her legs completely bare and wore just her top. Unable to help herself, Hermione's eyes slowly drifted down her body and forced back a moan, the bottom of Bellatrix's top flapped about as she moved, revealing her plain black issues underwear.

Hermione felt her cheeks heat up and was eternally grateful that Tonks was far too busy gritting her teeth at Bellatrix to notice how the half-naked sight was affecting Hermione. Bellatrix strolled casually to her bars, her hips swaying side to side tempting Hermione's eyes and body. Her hands came up and teasingly caressed the bars as she peered her face through before looking straight at Hermione. "Morning my _pet"_

Hate and anger flashed in Tonks's eyes as she bolted up from Hermione's bed, her hair turned a ferocious fiery orange that reflected her anger. Leaving her cell and coming face to face with her aunt, her wand shot out as she thrust it point blank at Bellatrix's neck. Bellatrix's eyebrows quirked up and she grinned in reply, her gaze briefly between the two witches. "Temper temper little Tonksee." Bellatrix purred sweetly, not flinching in the slightest at the wand pressed against her neck.

Hermione moved closer to the bars of her own cell as Tonks pressed her wand harder against her aunt's neck. "Don't you dare speak to her! After everything you've done to her… I should kill you right now."

Bellatrix tilted her head back, giving Tonks clear access to her neck. "Do it." Bellatrix hissed through her teeth. "Go on! Show me just how much Black runs through you."

Despite being unsure if she should, Hermione slipped out of her cell and rested her hand on Tonks's outstretched arm. "Leave it Tonks… She's not worth it." She said tenderly as she squeezed her arm.

Tonks stared hard at Bellatrix, gritting her teeth as she twisted the wand against Bellatrix's neck, the tip of her wand lit up briefly. Bellatrix snarled as Tonks burnt a mark onto her neck before slowly lowering her wand, and looking over at Hermione and softening her expression. "You're right… She's not."

Bellatrix cackled as she lowered her head back down to meet Tonks gaze then looked at Hermione, her head cocking to the side, unintentionally mimicking Tonks's action. "Your behaviour the other day said otherwise muddy."

"What's that meant to mean?" Tonks snapped at her aunt.

Hermione pulled on Tonks's arm and tried to lead her away, growing afraid fast at the idea that Bellatrix was going to tell Tonks what had happened. Even though she knew Tonks wouldn't believe Bellatrix, she would only need to peek inside either of their heads to see the truth if Bellatrix kept pushing it. "Tonks… Come, she's just trying to wind you up." Hermione pleaded softly, hoping she could get through to Tonks with her gentle tone.

It seemed to have the desired effect as she felt the tension in Tonks slip away slowly and the Auror began to follow Hermione back to her cell. But Tonks seemed to want to have the last word as she spoke over her shoulder. "If you ever touch her again-"

The poor choice of words was enough to start Bellatrix of laughing again, cutting Tonks off midsentence. "If I touch her again, I'm sure you'll hear her… _screams_." The dark witch cooed with a knowing smirk, purring out the last word, knowing full well Hermione would know what she meant and felt her cheeks redden against her will again.

A flash momentarily blinded Hermione; she heard a bang and the sound of someone stumbling. When her vision cleared she saw Tonks's wand aimed high at Bellatrix who had been thrown against her bed. "Shut it bitch!"

Bellatrix growled as she stood back up, straightening her top. Hermione could see the anger in the dark witch's eyes; she wasn't going to let that slide and would use the only thing she could to get back at Tonks. Their sexual encounter. Hermione's eyes widened, she bit down hard on her bottom lip and shook her head when she caught Bellatrix's gaze, _'Please Bellatrix… Please don't…'_ She mouthed at the dark witch, begging her, feebly hoping Bellatrix would show some compassion.

'_Shit…' _The dark witch glared at the pair of them, breathing heavily and once again Hermione was at her mercy. One wrong word from Bellatrix and her world would continue tumbling down. '_And I have no one to blame but myself.'_ The dark witch toyed with a stray curl that dangled in front of her and clucked her tongue. "Bored now." Bellatrix said finally in a droll tone and lay back on her bed without another word.

Hermione was genuinely surprised that Bellatrix had taken notice and made sure not to give Bellatrix a chance to reconsider as she dragged Tonks quickly back into her cell. Her hands firmly on both of Tonks's arms and kept the Auror looking at her, smiling as her thumbs gently caressed her arms, hoping to cool her down. "You ok?" Hermione asked softly.

"I… Yeah… I'm sorry you had to see me like that…"

"It's fine."

"It's not, I shouldn't have snapped like that… It's just been… Difficult. It was only a few weeks ago that me and the Malfoy's were enemies, now I'm sitting around the table eating lunch with one… Feels like I'm betraying those that we lost…"

Another guilty spasm shot through Hermione as Tonks voiced her misplaced guilt, _'If Tonks feels bad over something like that… How will she feel when she finds out I did something far more then eat dinner with Bellatrix…'_ Shaking her head, Hermione gave Tonks a small hug, ignoring the look Bellatrix was giving her. "You aren't betraying anybody. Mrs Malfoy took a grave risk betraying Voldemort-" Bellatrix hissed in the background, cutting Hermione off briefly but she ignored it and carried on. "They aren't your enemies anymore. From what I gathered they were more prisoners then followers by the end and I think… They are trying to change."

"I know… It will just take time I guess to get used to the idea." Tonks tightened her arms around Hermione, dark eyes met chocolate. A chill ran down Hermione, '_Can see the family resemblance, their eyes are so similar…'_ "I found mum… Crying the other night after my aunt left, I thought she was crying because she hurt her… But they were tears of joy… She was crying because after all these years, she's finally got one of her sisters back."

Hermione was fully aware of the other set of dark eyes that were burning into her, no matter how hard she tried to ignore it. "Then try and make the effort, for your mum's sake if nothing else." She gave Tonks a smile, trying hard to concentrate on the woman in front of her.

"Yeah, you're right of course. I don't think she ever thought she'd be happy again… You know, after dad…" Tonks paused as she shut her eyes tight and tried to hold it together, Hermione gave her a sympathetic look and ran her hand slowly up and down the Auror's back. "After dad died. But if having my aunt back in her life makes her happy then… I won't stand in the way."

"Good." Hermione spoke softly and enjoyed the friendly embrace, until she started to feel something hot against her leg. "What's that burning?"

"Oh!" The Auror yelled and shoved a hand into one of her pockets, she pulled out a single gold coin, burning on the surface of the coin was a simple message '_Report for Duty'_ "Typical…" Tonks muttered. "Soon as I get some time to myself… Sorry, I need to cut this visit short. Been called into work."

"It's ok. Hey are they…" Hermione asked curiously as she eyed the coin.

"The coins you used for Dumbledore's Army? Yes." Tonks smiled, she flicked it in the air and caught it again. "Kingsley thought it was a great idea and now all Auror's carry one so they can be summoned if needed in a hurry."

Hermione felt a small sense of pride that one of her ideas was being utilising by the Ministry of Magic. "Well you must get going then, don't want to find out I'm being kept here longer because of your tardiness." She teased.

"I feel bad; it's not been a very uplifting visit… Sorry. But I'll come back tomorrow and I promise, I'll have you smiling." Tonks said as she gave Hermione a final squeeze, then without warning placed a small kiss on Hermione's lips, locking them together for a few seconds. Just behind Tonks, Hermione could see Bellatrix looking very shocked, and something else… Something she couldn't quite believe. "Catch you later." Tonks said when their lips parted.

Hermione stood there staring, frozen in place by the kiss as she blushed slightly. Tonks giggled and slipped out of the cell before locking her in, and then with a final cheeky smile and a wink, Tonks turned tail and hurried away. Hermione's eyes followed the Auror as she left but all she could think about… Was the look of hurt in Bellatrix's eyes.

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><p><strong>AN: **Hope you enjoyed Chapter 9 ^_^ and that you don't hate me too much. Thank you for reading and I'll update soon x

**LoveSKINS94:** It smacked her pretty hard I reckon, and will continue to do so for some time :P

**DrunknMunky85:** Glad you think so, was worried, still am but slightly less now lol.

**Greyella:** Hehe *innocent smile* Glad you enjoyed it so much and feel it stayed in touch with their characters, was my biggest worry with that chapter.

**Etainlives:** There are a variety of reasons for her submissive behaviour, some of which are addressed here, and some won't be clear for a few chapters. The boys were released in a previous chapter so it's safe to say they are free of any unexpected developments in their cells. No need to apologise either :) I appreciate smut isn't everyone's thing which is why I make a point of warning before the start of a chapter.

**alex1966:** The answer to that question is getting closer ;) so stay tuned :D

**Goth Albino Angel:** Please try not to die :P Since it will be awhile before that topic is covered.

**Darkshadow-lord: **thank you for the great review :) and while I won't reveal what path lays ahead of Hermione, she is already a changed person, how far that change will extend ;) we'll have to see.


	10. Chapter 10: Feisty Feline

**A/N:** Thanks you for all the reviews and support :) They are very much appreciated. This chapter and the next were originally one, but started growing too big and as a result it was split, on the plus side it means the next chapter is almost ready and will be up during the week. The story and plot will be progressing fast over the next couple chapters so stay tuned ;)

If you are still reading then you are accustomed to the content and the warnings that come with it, so this will be the last time I post a warning :). **Warning:** This chapter contains acts of **violence **and **strong sexual content**. (Mild compared to the last lot ;p) Some reviews have been addressed at the end of the chapter. Hope you enjoy Chapter 10 :D

I do not have a Beta so all mistakes are my own and I apologise in advance for those I've missed.

**Disclaimer:** The world of Harry Potter and the original storyline are not mine; they belong to J.K. Rowling.

Read, review and most of all… Enjoy!

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><p><strong>Chapter 10: Feisty Feline<strong>

**Bellatrix**

After her niece had left, Bellatrix spent the rest of the day in a foul mood, brooding away on her bed. '_How dare she kiss her! How dare she let her! Bitch! Fucking filthy whore!'_ She wanted to scream and yell abuse at the girl and it had taken all her restraint to hold it in, her bloody hands were a testament to how much it had taken to hold it all in. Her palms were riddled with deep half-moon gouges where her nails had dug far into them; her bottom lip was bleeding from where she had bitten down hard to stop herself reacting out loud to the pain. Her mysterious contractor had told her that her cell would be open tonight, that was only half a day away. Bellatrix could bind her time until then. _'Just you wait muddy…'_

She lay facing the wall with her back to the younger witch wondering what in Merlin's name was wrong with her. She had the perfect opportunity earlier to cause her niece a great deal of emotional suffering, Bellatrix could tell that there had once been something between her niece and the mudblood, little clues like the younger witch cradling and smelling her nieces letter to her. And while Bellatrix didn't know how far back in the past that was, or how deep it went, she guessed that Tonks finding out that her _close friend_ willing fucked and let herself be fucked by her aunt, would be heart breaking.

But then she caught sight of Hermione's large warm chocolaty brown eyes, which pleaded with her, her soft lips silently begging for Bellatrix to keep it between them. For a split second, her fury crumbled at the sight and she was overwhelmed with strange feelings, a weakness which she couldn't help but succumb too. '_And how did she repay me… By kissing my niece! Filthy dirty whore!'_ Deep down Bellatrix knew it had been her niece who had kissed the brunette, but that did nothing to diminish the jealousy that stung at her.

When breakfast came later that morning, Bellatrix didn't move from her bed and left it to go cold in the corner of her cell. The morning dragged on at an agonising slow pace, she felt the passing of every single minute as she alternated between sulking and seething in an intoxicating silence. Her mind was racing about what she was going to do to the younger witch once she got her hands on her, her thoughts varying from one extreme to the other. When lunch time eventually came a few hours later, Bellatrix did the same thing and didn't stir from her bed. When her stomach cried out in protest at being neglected, she inwardly growled back in response.

Over the course of the day as she fumed, she could hear Hermione shifting about on her bed, sometimes pacing her cell. She was sure she felt the brunette's eyes on her most of the time, but resisted the urge to turn around and find out. When dinner came, Bellatrix recalled what her mysterious contractor had told her, the meal would be drugged to help her carry out the task that needed to be done. But Bellatrix didn't want anything clouding her mind, she wanted to be in complete control when she got a hold of the mudblood, she didn't need whatever they had put in her dinner to spur her on, her wrath alone would get the task done tonight.

It wasn't until after dinner had come and gone did Hermione speak up. The sound of feet cautiously shuffling closer preceded her voice. "Erm… Hey… You ok?" The girl asked nervously. Bellatrix stiffened, the sound of her shaky yet sweet voice clawed at her insides, she felt as if dragon fire was burning away at her heart. '_Save your false concern for someone who cares girl!' _The reply was on the tip of her tongue, yet the words wouldn't come out.

When Bellatrix didn't reply or turn to meet the girl's gaze, she heard the girl retreat deeper into her cell and the sound of springs compressing as the girl climbed into bed. Night had arrived and soon Bellatrix would be free to carry out her task.

* * *

><p>She laid still for hours saving her energy, the fire raging inside her kept her awake and on the edge. Her mysterious contractor didn't tell her when roughly the cells would open, and every now and then Bellatrix would glance over her shoulder to make sure she hadn't missed the sound of the cells opening.<p>

Then, eventually it came. The low clanging of metal separating and bending, followed by the sound of iron slowly scrapping against stone. Maybe it was because of the eerie silence, or because Bellatrix's senses were on full alert, but the sound seemed far more deafening than usual. Bellatrix quickly turned over on her bed and looked over towards her bars, in the moonlight she could see clearly that sure enough her gate had been fabricated, and was now ajar. Bellatrix looked passed her cell and at the brunette's which was also now open, the girl was shifting about slightly yet didn't stir from her deep sleep.

An evil grin formed across Bellatrix's lips as she slid out of bed, a million thoughts were rushing through her head, and one in particular gave her cause to pick up her pillow. Slowly she began to stalk her way towards the brunette's cell, gliding silently across her floor Bellatrix pushed against the cell's gate gently, pausing when the grinding sound grew too loud. Once the gap was large enough, she slipped through. When she was in the corridor Bellatrix glanced down both directions of the dark and deserted hallway, unsurprisingly whoever opened it was already long gone, and for a few moments she debated with herself whether or not to try and make a break for it. And while people have called her insane countless times over the years, which was something Bellatrix never denied to being, she was in no way stupid, she knew she wouldn't get far if she tried to escape alone.

With the pillow firmly in her grasp, she took a step closer towards the younger girl's cell. Again she edged the cell gate open slowly, trying to make as little noise as she possibly could before slipping into Hermione's cell. She moved silently in a predatory fashion as she approached her prey, ready to pounce if the girl woke up too soon.

Bellatrix came to a stop just by her bed and looked down at the sleeping brunette, the moonlight was reflecting of her smooth light skin, highlighting her youth and beauty. Her soft lips slightly parted as she breathed in and out, her anger and determination briefly faltered and for a moment Bellatrix wanted nothing more to reach down and claim them once more. But then she remembered where those lips had been last and snapped out of it. Slowly, Bellatrix climbed up onto the bed and placed her knees either side of the girl's hips, hovering above her.

She gripped the pillow firmly in both hands and held it to her chest as she slowly lowered herself closer to Hermione until the tips of her curly hair brushed against the girl's skin. Her grip on the pillow tightened as she stared down with cold hard eyes, readying herself for what she was about to do. She knew she was stronger than the girl; Hermione wouldn't be able to stop her once Bellatrix started. Bellatrix moved the pillow up closer to the girls face, and peered down at her face one last time.

She held the pillow directly over Hermione's face. Minutes passed and yet the pillow was still in the exact same position. A deep frown creased Bellatrix's brow, although the pillow was blocking the sight of the girl's face, she could still see the sleeping beauty's face in her mind and it was enough to stay her hand. '_Get a fucking grip and get on with it.'_ Her mind's voice hissed angrily at herself. '_I showed weakness earlier and she punished that weakness with betrayal. I can't give her the chance to do so again!'_ Bellatrix gritted her teeth; her iron grip on the pillow was threatening to tear it apart as her arms began to shake. '_She kissed my filthy niece! She's my possession! My pet! No one has the right to touch what is rightfully mine!' _

Yet despite how much she tried to convince herself to do the act, despite how much she was fuelling her fury, she couldn't bring herself to do it. Something was holding her back, something small yet powerful lingering in the depths of her heart, something she couldn't describe. Whatever it was and regardless of how small it was, was strong enough to deter her actions, locking her body and mind in an internal stalemate. Hermione's beautiful face flashed before her again, her sly sweet little smile she used when she momentarily forgot just what Bellatrix was. She saw the way the girl's cheeks would blush when she caught an eyeful and just how hungry those eyes were she took in the sight before quickly averting her gaze.

She recalled the… Compassion the girl had shown her, twice now. The first time being when she saved her life after the battle, preventing members of the light finishing her off… And again a few days back, when she had told the brunette the story about the whore, Hermione had looked at her with such compassion and pity. The pity, she didn't appreciate much… But the compassion and the gentle comforting touch, followed by a genuine wish to kiss her, she did appreciate even if she'd never admit that to anyone. Despite herself, in that moment of weakness, the girl had got to her in a way no one ever had… And she had liked it. Part of her wished she could be touched in such a way again, to be genuinely cared for… But she was Bellatrix Lestrange, the Dark Lord's most faithful and devoted servant, his strongest lieutenant, an insane monster who tortures and kills for pleasure. Who could ever care for someone like that?

That dark realisation was something Bellatrix mentally scolded herself for forgetting, for allowing herself the smallest of hopes. In her frustration she slung the pillow across the cell as she screamed out inside herself. As she sat up, her hands came up and wrung their way through her hair, pulling on it tightly. '_What the hell has gotten into me!' _She thought as she rocked back and forth on her knees above the girl, tears trickled down from her dark eyes as her internal turmoil took its toll on her.

Bellatrix stilled when she felt the girl shift beneath her and a soft noise escape Hermione's lips. She blinked in confusion and looked down closely at the girl who she believed to be the cause for whatever was happening to her; the girl had that sly sweet smile playing about on her lips. '_Hmmph seems at least one of us is having a good night's sleep.'_ Bellatrix sighed and decided that perhaps she should just get off and go back to her cell; she couldn't do it, not tonight anyway and perhaps not ever. But that was until the girl spoke in her sleep.

"Bella…" She whispered in a quiet tone of voice that barely qualified as a whisper, the smile on her face grew larger as she shifted about under her. Bellatrix's eyes grew wide as she stared down at the girl, that single one word swept away all her remaining fury and hate. '_Is she… Dreaming about me?'_

"Muddy? You awake?" Bellatrix whispered warily. The girl didn't reply, or at least not to her voice, she wriggled about under her even more and made a low noise of pleasure.

Unsure of how to react, Bellatrix leant closer back down to the brunette's face to get a good look at her, her hair once again brushed against the girl's cheek as it draped over her. It must have tickled her slightly as her hand instinctively came up and swatted away the offending strands, narrowly missing Bellatrix's face. Hermione's head turned to the side and let out a small _mmm_ sound. Bellatrix's mouth was hanging open in disbelief; she knew the girl desired her somewhat, but to see her like this really hit that notion home. '_I wonder what you're dreaming about my pet…'_

An idea occurred to Bellatrix, grinning slightly to herself she lent closer to Hermione and placed her hand ever so gently on the side of her face, hoping not to wake her. '_Let's see how well you keep your defences up.' _Taking a deep breath and concentrating hard, Bellatrix willed her mind forward and gently probed at the girl's mental barriers. She frowned slightly when she found the girl's subconscious still managed to keep the majority of them in place while she slept. Bellatrix could tell from the way they were feebly constructed that the girl had little to no training in Occlumency, and yet they were still enough to keep her out without her having to apply some force.

'_Obviously she taught herself, Draco did say she was a bookworm, must have read about it and learnt from there… Impressive.'_ Occlumency was a hard skill to learn which few ever mastered, and nearly all the time had to be taught by an experienced Legilimens. Even although Bellatrix thought her barriers poor, to be able to do what she was doing just from the guidance of a book alone, showed just how intelligent the girl was.

Bellatrix considered resorting to a little force to find out what the girl was dreaming about; yet there would be the risk that the girl would detect a forceful intrusion. Bellatrix combed through Hermione's mind looking for the weakest segment of her defences that she could breach with a little show of force. However as she probed around, the girl under her moaned again slightly and like water pouring from a breach in a dam, Bellatrix was assaulted with a barrage of images as the girl's barriers wavered and her thoughts poured through.

* * *

><p><strong>Hermione<strong>

Hermione was lying face up, nude on a large soft four poster bed with green and silver drapes, her hands were tied to the head board behind her with green silky bindings. She was panting heavily, her body was covered in a fine layer of glistening sweat, scattered all over her body were faint red marks where her lover had previously dragged tooth and nail hard against her flesh. She tried to look up to see where the older witch had gone, but her body was too exhausted and she didn't even have the energy to lift her head. "Mistress?" She whimpered out.

"Have patience my little mudslut. Don't worry I'm not finished with you yet…" Bellatrix's singsong voice drifted to her from somewhere in the room.

Hermione wriggled in anticipation at what Bellatrix had planned for her; the older witch had said she had saved the biggest treat for last. She wasn't entirely sure what the dark witch had meant, but the way she had said it had made Hermione's whole body shudder with pleasure, whatever it was, Hermione believed was worth the wait. She soon heard Bellatrix's faint footsteps draw near, and then felt the bed lower under her as the other woman climbed back onto it, she tried looking up and managed to see Bellatrix's face as she slowly crawled towards her. The older witch had a mischievous look on her face, one that made Hermione's stomach flutter and her core even more wet, if that was even possible.

Bellatrix arched her back as she climbed on top of Hermione, her large firm breasts brushing teasingly against Hermione's as she giggled playfully, her head cocked to the side as she looked down at Hermione with a seductive grin. "You ready to find out what I've been holding back muddy?" Bellatrix cooed as she then wedged her knee between Hermione's thighs and roughly rubbed against her soaking wet, sore and sensitive pussy.

"Fuck… Yes mistress!" Hermione moaned out as she pushed down hard against Bellatrix's knee, only to whimper when it was pulled away. She looked up to see Bellatrix crawling further up her body… Hermione's eyes widened when she caught sight of what Bellatrix had and groaned, she instinctively darted her tongue out to wet her lips at the sight. The older witch noticed the look on her face and laughed before placing her knees either side of the top of her chest. Bellatrix's surprise came in the shape of a large fake cock that hung from a harness attached around her waist; Hermione couldn't help but notice Bellatrix had taken the time to tuck her wand under one of the straps.

"Like what you see muddy? Bellatrix asked as she again cocked her head, this time to the other side. Hermione was lost for words, Bellatrix had already been brutal to her body, she wasn't sure she could take anymore, yet despite that she nodded vigorously anyway. Bellatrix grinned slyly then groaned as her hand ran slowly up from the base to the tip of the toy. "I'm sure a little whore like you is familiar with such magical… Devices. This one will let me… Feel everything. Let's put that to the test, lick it mudslut!"

Hermione smirked and tried to lift her head up closer to the toy, pulling on what was left of her energy reserves. But as she neared it Bellatrix quickly retracted it and giggled. "Oops did I forget to mention you'll have to beg me for it?"

She whined as Bellatrix held it just short of her reach, her tongue stretched out trying to touch the tip but still couldn't reach it. "Please… Mistress… Please may I have it?" She groaned and kept trying to force herself closer to it. "Please, let me please you Mistress…"

"How can I refuse such a delicious offer?" Bellatrix smiled innocently and wrapped a hand around the back of Hermione's head, before lowering herself and the cock to the rim of Hermione's lips. Hermione wasted no time in placing a small kiss on the tip, making the older witch shudder involuntarily, smiling at the reaction, she extended her tongue and flickered it lightly and swiftly like a snake over the toy. Bellatrix hissed and moaned as Hermione's tongue slithered with varying motions and speeds all over the parts of the magical toy that were in her reach. Using her face, she gently nudged the sensitive toy up so she could gain clear access to the underside, where she dragged her tongue slowly from the middle to the tip. "Fuck… You… Teasing whore!" The dark witch growled deeply and grabbed a tuff of Hermione's hair; unable to take the teasing anymore she positioned the tip to the entrance of Hermione's mouth and forced her way in.

Although Hermione was only too willing to let Bellatrix abuse her mouth, she tried to keep her lips down tight and impose pressure on the toy. Bellatrix growled out her approval at the resistance and started to fuck her mouth relentlessly; the dark witch's other hand joined the first around the back of Hermione's head and moved her along the toy fast as her hips plunged it down into her mouth. Hermione groaned and gagged slightly as the other witch thrust the toy deep, her lips vibrated against the toy with each moan, causing the woman above her to replicate her sounds. Her tongue continued to tease at the toy, pressing hard up against bottom for added friction as it slid rapidly over it with each shove.

Hermione's eyes travelled up Bellatrix's body as she pleased her, taking in the erotic sight of how her breasts where bouncing in harmony with the motion of her hips. The dark witch's head was moving about erratically as all types of sounds poured form her full red lips, her lust filled eyes soon met Hermione's gaze. "Fuck…" Bellatrix grumbled as they held eye contact, Hermione grinned around the toy and hoped that her lover was close to release, she allowed her head to be bobbed along faster, she helped to pick up the pace and tightened her lips even more for further pressure. Until finally Bellatrix reached her climax and cried out. "Ohh… Fuck! …Yes mudslut!" Hermione felt the toy swell slightly between her lips just before Bellatrix's exquisite juices were shot deep down her throat.

Once done, Bellatrix pushed the girl of her and hard back down to the bed as she panted hard. "You were made… Solely for this purpose muddy, two perfectly gifted holes just begging to be fucked." The older woman lent down and kissed Hermione hard, biting down on her bottom lip until she drew blood.

Hermione blinked up at Bellatrix when she broke away from the kiss, hoping that the witch would just lay with her for abit and at least let her recuperate before abusing her some more. The faint sensation of someone probing her mind told her that Bellatrix was inside her head.

Bellatrix cackled and reached down behind her, her fingers brushing against Hermione's sex causing her moan. "Aww does muddy need a break?" Bellatrix asked softly, Hermione hesitated then nodded slightly. "But… Muddy… That was just a warm up… I so wanted to use this between your delicious thighs… Surely you won't deny your mistress that?" She asked with a pout, a look of feign innocence masked her face.

Hermione didn't trust her mouth to speak and went to nod her head, but instead found herself shaking it and silently cursing herself. Bellatrix grinned wickedly and planted a hard passionate kiss on her lips before childishly scooting down Hermione's body, settling herself between her legs. The witch hummed excitedly to herself with the fake cock in hand as she guided it to Hermione's entrance; teasingly she rubbed the tip along her slit, parting her folds slightly. Hermione moaned and bucked her hips towards it, trying to push herself on it; her legs wrapped around the older witch and tried to pull her in.

"Such an impatient whore aren't you." Bellatrix cackled softly and pulled it back, her other hand slowly pulled out her wand from under one of the straps. "You recall… I said I saved the biggest for last don't you muddy? Well…" The dark witch smirked and pointed the tip of her wand at the toy. "_Engorgio!_" Hermione's mouth fell open as she watched the toy swell in width and length; she couldn't help but whimper and panic slightly at the new size of Bellatrix's fake cock. Laughing at Hermione's reaction, Bellatrix repositioned the toy between her thighs and without further warning, pushed it deep into her core as Hermione screamed out loud with a mix of pain and pleasure.

* * *

><p><strong>Bellatrix<strong>

Bellatrix found herself being pulled out of the brunette's mind as she gasped sharply, something pressed against her between her thighs. Looking down between them she saw one of the younger girl's knees propped up and rubbing casually against Bellatrix's crotch. Biting back a moan, she looked back at the girl and narrowed her eyes at the young witch. "Muddy… I know you're awake!" She half hissed, half groaned as the girl's knee dug into her. It was a bluff, she didn't know if Hermione was awake, but hoped to trick her into talking if she was.

Instead of replying to her, the girl moaned again and unconsciously pressed her knee up hard against Bellatrix as she wiggled about under her. Bellatrix groaned at the contact and couldn't help but grind her core slightly against Hermione's knee, the girl's dream had left her not only completely surprised, but thoroughly aroused as well. _'Pity I didn't get to see the entire… Act… It looked like we had been having so much fun. Who would have guessed that baby Potter's goody two shoes, bookworm mudblood savoured such… Stimulating fantasies.'_

Bellatrix studied the girl closely; she had originally believed that the girl's obedience the other day had been down to the situation Bellatrix had her in. That she played it smart and obeyed to live, but perhaps… Perhaps instead the girl had seen the chance to act out one of her darker desires and jumped at the chance. Bellatrix couldn't help but grin at the girl, she already knew there was more to the mudblood then met the eye, but now… Now she'd seen that under the girl's oh so good and innocent, honourable façade, was a darker feral side. A feisty feline dwelled in the furthest depths of this noble lion, hungry for the more… Darker pleasures in life. '_Poor little… Kitten… All chained up and kept on a lease… If only you weren't a mudblood, I'd break your chains and set you free.' _Bellatrix frowned and shook her head.

Another nudge against her core quickly pushed that line of thoughts to one side, here was a girl, dreaming about being fucked by her, and now thanks to what she saw, Bellatrix wanted nothing more than to oblige. She allowed herself to grind a little bit more against the girl before slowly climbing off the bed, taking care not to wake her. Bellatrix licked her lips, with a gentle pull; the blanket covering Hermione was pulled off and allowed to fall to the floor. The girl shivered unconsciously but didn't stir, smirking at the sight, Bellatrix lent over the girl and eased her leg down so it was lying flat next to the other.

The girl wriggled and Bellatrix froze in place, holding her breath till the girl settled again. When she was pleased the girl was still fast asleep, she hooked her fingers under the elastic of the brunette's pants. Slowly and very carefully, she began to pull them down, catching a hold of the girl's undies and dragging them down with pants. Bellatrix had to stop every now and then when it looked like the brunette might stir, but eventually she got them down over the girls' ankles and tossed them to one side. Bellatrix's eyebrows quirked at the sight of the girl's glistening wet core, she wetted her lips again before then climbing carefully onto the girl.

With extra care, Bellatrix parted the girl's legs, which luckily was easier then she thought it would have been. Easing herself between the girl's thighs, she leant over till her face was barely inches from the girls; she wanted a clear view of the girl's reaction when she woke to what Bellatrix had in mind. Without taking her gaze away from the girl, she slipped a hand between them, her fingertips barely grazing against the girl till they reached the spot between Hermione's legs. Bellatrix's digits brushed lightly against the girl's sex, making her moan softly in her sleep, they circled the brunette's core, occasionally flickering over her slit. Hermione's body and mouth was reacting to her touch but her eyes and mind had still yet to stir, smirking to herself, Bellatrix ran her fingers down the brunette's slit, separating her folds as she fold her goal and then pushed her middle finger in slow and deep.

Hermione gasped and as Bellatrix started to fuck her slow with her single digit, the girl's head turned as her breathing quickened, her eyes slowly peered open and begun to flutter sleepily. Moans tumbled from her lips as Bellatrix woke her up, and then her eyes snapped open when Bellatrix thrust a second finger in her and picked up the pace. Her hips bucked of their own accord and pushed down on the fingers, she stared up at Bellatrix while she fucked her, a blank look on her face until her eyes widened as she registered what was happening.

The girl tried feebly to wriggle free while her hands tried to push weakly at Bellatrix, but the brunette's body was still waking up, and as of yet lacked the energy and strength to budge Bellatrix even an inch, as her body continued to keep the girl pinned in place. Bellatrix smirked at her half-hearted attempts to remove her; she knew the poor attempts were not solely down to the girl's body still waking. Having her fingers pumping away fast at the witch's wet pussy seemed to be distracting the girl too much to be putting up a decent attempt at escaping her. "Wha… Bu… How…" Hermione half moaned and half panicked as she looked around her cell, the colour draining from her cheeks when her gaze fell upon her open cell gate.

"Shhh little muddy… Just pretend you're still dreaming. Questions after." Bellatrix purred, the younger witch looked like she was about to protest or call for help, but her voice was pushed aside for the moans her mouth made when Bellatrix added a third digit.

Not breaking eye contact, Bellatrix fucked the girl hard and fast, pumping her three digits in and out of the girl's core, her pace picking up with each thrust. Hermione quickly gave up resisting, and after seeing the girl's thoughts, that wasn't a surprise, instead the girl moved her hands behind her and placed them against the wall, which she used to push down harder on Bellatrix's hand as she moaned and groaned. All the panic had fled the girl's eyes and instead looking back at Bellatrix were a pair of hungry lust filled orbs, her lips parted slightly, her tongue slipped out to wet them, Bellatrix couldn't deny how inviting they were and quickly claimed them for her own. Hermione immediately granted Bellatrix access to her mouth and they tongue's clashed together, this time the girl didn't yield control, instead she took it, and she surprised Bellatrix by forcing her tongue back as Hermione's invaded her mouth.

Hermione gained brief control while Bellatrix was taken aback by the girl's feistiness and couldn't help but let out a moan of obedience in the other witch's mouth. Spurred on by the desire to be in control, Bellatrix ran her thumb up and over the girl's clit, teasing the sensitive nub as she pumped away at her soaking wet core. Hermione broke away from the kiss and threw her head back. "Fuck!"

Bellatrix moved fast, taking advantage of Hermione's exposed neck and quickly claimed it with her mouth. She nipped and kissed her way across sweet smooth skin until she found the girl's pulse point, her lips clamped down and sucked, making Hermione purr in her ear and wriggle beneath her body. "Oh fuck! Yes! More! I need more!" The girl cried out, Bellatrix couldn't help but laugh against her slender neck and happily granted her request by adding a fourth finger.

The younger witch bucked, wriggled, moaned and groaned as Bellatrix's assault on her wet core intensified while her thumb continued to rub and torment Hermione's clit. "Fu… Ye… I…" Hermione cried out, unable to form a sentence as her walls clamped down on Bellatrix's fingers and came hard. "Bellaaaaa!" She screamed as she rode her orgasm out.

Bellatrix smirked victoriously and pulled out of the girl, she brought her hand back up and to her lips where she casually licked three of the four digits clean. She used the last finger to smear the girls' juices over her lips and before Bellatrix could tell her, Hermione leant up and claimed the taste for herself of off Bellatrix's lips and sealed their intimate exchange with a long lasting passionate kiss.

"Well… It seems once again things didn't go as someone planned." Bellatrix murmured after breaking the kiss and sitting up, straddling the girl.

"Mmm… I'm not complaining…" Hermione replied surprisingly cheekily. Bellatrix cocked an eyebrow at the mischievous reply, her lips twitched slightly into a smirk as she surveyed the sight below her. The girl's eyes were shut as she stretched and let out a small yawn as she recovered from her climax. When the girl's eyes reopened, most of the lust had subsided and was replaced with something more serious, however fear was nowhere to be seen… Something Bellatrix wasn't too sure if she pleased about. "I'm guessing your contractor let you in?"

Bellatrix rolled her eyes at the girl. "Who else would?"

Hermione stared up at her, biting down on her bottom lip before looking away over towards the corridor. "Did you… See who it was?"

"No… They were long gone."

"Oh…" The brunette muttered shortly as her eyes fixed on something. Bellatrix didn't follow her gaze, instead her eyes swept over the girl's neck and grinned smugly at the purple marks that were forming on her smooth skin. "I'm guessing they still want me dead then…" Hermione whispered in a hurt tone of voice and just for a second Bellatrix's heart sank for the girl.

Shaking her head and pushing the feeling aside, she kept her face neutral and replied shortly. "Apparently so."

The girl continued to bite at her bottom lip before turning to look back up at her with a bewildered look. "Then…" She paused as she hesitated, a slight flicker of fear crossed her features as she seemed to debate with herself whether to ask or not. "Why am I still alive?" Hermione finally asked after a short silence.

"Are you complaining you ungrateful little whore?!" Bellatrix snapped and scowled at the girl.

Hermione shook her head promptly. "No! I just meant… I mean… Why couldn't you go through with it?"

"What's that meant to mean?! I _couldn't_?" She hissed in the girl's face angrily, hoping to deter the girl from this uncomfortable line of inquiry. "I told you, I don't orders from anyone anymore! It has nothing to do with what I can or can't do!"

Hermione continued to stare up at her, Bellatrix could see the fear lingering about behind her the girl's eyes. But the girl didn't shy away from her, nor did she drop the subject. "Then… Why is your pillow crumbled in the corner?" The girl looked away and this time Bellatrix did follow her gaze and looked at the pillow she had slung to one side. Her anger began to rise as she quickly recalled why she had brought it… She, for whatever ever reason, couldn't kill her… But that didn't mean she couldn't punish her for her actions and so when the girl looked back at her, Bellatrix sat back up straight and struck her hard across the face with the back of her hand.

"Ow! What was that for?!" The girl shouted up at her, Bellatrix's face grew darker as she glared at her, slapping the girl again for her false naivety. "Stop hitting-" The girl tried to speak up again, this time trying to tell Bellatrix what to do, which earned her another hard slap. Bellatrix's other hand quickly pushed down hard on the girl's chest as she tried to sit up, she leant down on her arm and put all her weight into keeping the girl in place as she struggled beneath her. "Stop it!" The girl yelled after the latest slap, her eyes were beginning to glisten with the impending tears of one emotion or another.

Bellatrix tried not to show any reaction to the tears, the girl needed to be taught a lesson, which was, she didn't do sharing too well. "Shut up! You know what that's for!" She shrieked down at the girl.

Hermione's hands clawed at Bellatrix's arm as she tried to free herself. "I don't! What have I-" The brunette shouted back at her, but the witch's ignorance just angered her further and Bellatrix slapped Hermione hard again.

"You. Kissed. My. Niece!" She hissed each word slowly, in a deadly and low tone of voice, leaning over the girl more as she spoke and finished with yet another blistering slap.

The tears had now started to slowly streak down the girl's face, whether they were tears of anger, or tears in response to the pain, Bellatrix didn't know nor did she care. "I didn't!" Hermione screamed angrily.

Another hand print was left on the girl's face as Bellatrix struck her again; the girl's cheeks were starting to turn bright red from the repeated strikes. "Don't lie to me! I saw you!"

"She kissed me!"

The sound of another hard slap rang out through the cell. "You didn't fight it! You are my pet! My Possession! Only I can touch you!" Bellatrix went to strike the girl again, but this time the girl wasn't about to permit it. She caught Bellatrix's wrist and bucked hard underneath her, catching Bellatrix off balance, Hermione used the momentum to switch positions and flipped Bellatrix onto her back where the girl quickly straddled her and pinned Bellatrixs hands above her head with her own.

Under a different situation, Bellatrix would have found this arousing, having a beautiful girl straddle and pin her, while being completely naked from the waist down. She still did sort off as she stifled a moan before it escaped her lips. "Get off!" She snapped at the girl who was now towering over her and tried to wriggle free and throw her off.

"No!" The brunette snapped as she struggled to keep her under control. Unfortunately for Bellatrix, the girl had been paying attention to how she used her body to keep someone in check under her, and was now utilizing her own technique against her. "I do not belong to you Bellatrix!"

"Yes you do! You are mine!" Bellatrix spat out at her, still trying to free herself from the girl's grasp, which to her great annoyance proved futile.

"I am not! Even if I did kiss her, which I didn't! It is none of your damn business!" Bellatrix bit her tongue as the girl shouted at her from above, she couldn't help but think how hot the girl looked when she was angry. '_Mmm guess I was right about that caged feline, it's just bursting to play!' _ "If I belong to anyone, it's my boyfriend-"

Bellatrix scoffed out loud at that. "Well aren't you quite the little mudslut then… What would he say to you kissing my niece and allowing yourself to be _fucked_ by me?" She kept her voice low and sweet, stressing out the reminder of what had occurred twice now with a grin on her face. "Who is it? It is Potter? Or maybe it's that redhead weasel?"

The younger witch's face grew pale and the anger in her eyes momentarily faded. '_Poor little muddy, judging from her eyes it would seem that line of thought has already crossed her mind.'_ "I… It's… None of your business…" Hermione stuttered out quietly.

In that moment, something occurred to Bellatrix, something she had completely forgotten about till now. '_What's become of the other two brats?' _"Where are they anyway?" She asked. "Are they locked up here as well?"

"They were-" The girl blurted out, her eyes grew slightly wide and bit down on her bottom lip when she realised what she had given away and stopped herself saying anymore.

Bellatrix's eyebrows rose sharply in response to the revelation. "But not anymore?" She probed and unsurprisingly the girl didn't answer, instead Hermione just continued to gnaw on her bottom lip. "And they haven't come to see you?" Still no reply, but the girl's jaw seemed to tighten at that, as did her grip on Bellatrix's wrists. Bellatrix flashed the girl a victorious grin, having now found a new delicate subject to taunt her over.

"Poor little muddy, you've been abandoned by your… _Friends_, by your _Boyfriend." _She spoke slowly and softly, dragging out certain words as she gauged the girl's reaction. Strangely though, part of her was trying to hold her back, trying to stop her purposely hurting the girls' feelings. '_Better hers then mine…'_ She thought bitterly and ignored the feelings aside as she continued to taunt the girl. _"_The blood traitor pureblood and the filthy half-blood have been set free, but you… The mudblood is left to rot by everyone you fought so… _Hard_ for. I bet they've already forgotten your name, especially your _Boyfriend_ I bet he's already found another whore to warm his bed-"

Bellatrix never saw it coming, but she definitely felt it when the girl's hand struck her hard across the face. "Shut up!"

She almost smiled, almost laughed at the girl's aggressiveness, once again the feisty feline dwelling within rose its head. But the admiration was fleeting; her pride and ego quickly drowned it out and her fury began to stir. "You dare hit me!? I should have killed you when I had the chance!"

"Then why didn't you!?"

"Because I couldn't!" Bellatrix snapped back just as loudly and aggressively as the girl, and this time it was her that had blurted something out she never intended to say. '_Fuck!'_

The girl blinked down in confusion at her, while Bellatrix felt the colour fade from her face. "What?" The girl asked softly, yet in a confused tone of voice. Bellatrix tried to reply quickly, to think of some smart reply or insult to get herself out of the hole she had just dug, her mouth opened but no words came out. "Why?" Hermione probed gently. '_Fuck say something! Call her a whore or a mudblood or laugh at her! Just don't gawp at her!' _Her mind chastised her, but still she couldn't bring herself to correct her blunder. "Bellatrix why couldn't you?"

"I… I…" When she finally found her voice she stuttered, something she mentally scolded herself for. '_Fuck sake! How can I be looking so weak in front of a mudblood! And not just any mudblood… But her…'_ She thought furiously at herself and raked her brain quickly for a believable excuse. "No reason, I figured I owed you one. You saved my life after the battle, so I returned the favour by not taking yours. I didn't want to be indebted to a mudblood, it's shameful!" She tried to speak confidently, but she could hear how shaky her voice was, and she was sure Hermione could to.

"Is that the only reason?" Hermione asked after staring at her for a short while, Bellatrix could see in the girl's eyes that she didn't believe her.

"Of course it is!" Bellatrix snapped back, trying to be more assertive this time. But the look in the girl's eyes said it all, the damage was done, Bellatrix had lost control and left herself open and vulnerable. She needed to get out of here before she was forced to confront the things she had been trying so hard to disregard, the feelings she had been trying to bury. '_I can't do this… I can't feel this! Not again, not after last time...'_

"Bellatrix…" The girl whispered her name softly. '_There it is again… That look… That compassion and gentleness…'_

Bellatrix shook her head. "Let me up. I'm going back to bed." She stated softly, turning her head away from the girl yet still watching her from the corner of her eyes. "Did you hear me?"

The brunette continued to stare with a puzzled look on her face before her grip loosened. "Yeah… I heard." With a frown the girl slowly released her and moved off Bellatrix, picking up the blanket and wrapping it around her waist. Bellatrix moved off the bed, refusing to meet the girl's gaze. She strolled to the corner and picked up her pillow, trying to move confidently with her usual air of confidence and superiority. She could feel the girl watching her; she hoped the girl wouldn't say anything, but that hope was dashed when she was just about to slip out of Hermione's cell. "Bellatrix? Thank you. For letting me live."

She froze and despite herself, looked over her shoulder at her, she was unable to stop the smile that briefly grazed her lips and she hoped the girl didn't see it as she quickly pushed it aside. "Don't thank me; your life is still in danger…" Bellatrix warned and looked away back towards her cell. "Just not from me." She added quietly to herself, wanting to know how the words sounded coming of her tongue and if she believed it. She did, which made all her worries, her concerns and her feelings for the witch, seem a whole lot more real. '_Shit… It's happening again.'_

Bellatrix sighed, she squeezed her eyes tight and forced back the tears that threatened to spill before speaking out loud for the girl to hear. "No doubt I'll receive another visit tomorrow night from my contractor and…" She froze as something occurred to her. "Wait… My… _Niece_… She said she's coming back tomorrow?" Bellatrix asked as she turned to look at the other witch, her mind started racing as an idea came to her.

Hermione looked taken back slightly by the change in topic. "Yes… Why?" She asked cautiously.

Bellatrix smiled pleased at the change at subject and was delighted at what she had in mind, she approached the girl till she was barely inches from her face and whispered. "Because… I think I know who it is… Listen carefully, I have a plan."

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><p><strong>AN:** Hope you enjoyed Chapter 10 ^_^ Thank you for reading and I'll update soon x

**DrunknMunky85:** I'll try my best to answer your questions soon :P you'll be seeing one person's reaction to the news very soon ;)

**Greyella:** Hehe I think you might have mentioned adore once or twice ;) glad you liked it :D and yes it does seem they are discovering their feelings more and more, still heavy in denial although.

**alex1966:** Lol well we'll see if you was right or wrong very soon :P

**Darkshadow-lord: **Hmmm some friends indeed ;) and now Bellatrix has picked up on that. It's true Tonks kissed Hermione, but you know how possessive Bellatrix can be :p

**LoveSKINS94: **It does seem like she's starting to care doesn't it? :) Despite how much she tries to push it to one side.

**gnurd: **While I won't reveal the answer to that question either way, as I said earlier the plot will be progressing fast over the next couple of chapters ;) you may find your answer then.

**MunkyTerror: **Thank you :) Always nice to see a new Bellamione fan, I hope my story gives you high hopes for the pairing.


	11. Chapter 11: Plan In Motion

**A/N:** Thanks you for all the reviews and support :) They are very much appreciated.

I do not have a Beta so all mistakes are my own and I apologise in advance for those I've missed. Thanks to Andrew and others that kindly pointed out some in the previous chapter :)

**Disclaimer:** The world of Harry Potter and the original storyline are not mine; they belong to J.K. Rowling.

Read, review and most of all… Enjoy!

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><p><strong>Chapter 11: Plan In Motion<strong>

**Hermione**

Unsurprisingly, Hermione didn't get much sleep after her encounter with the dark witch during the night, her body and mind stayed worked up long after Bellatrix had returned to her cell. Yet again her feelings were in a state of turmoil. '_I can't believe it happened again… So soon after the last time…'_ However this time Hermione didn't feel half as guilty as she did before. She used some of that logic and reasoning she prided herself so much on, to relieve herself of some of the guilt. '_I didn't have much choice… She was already… Doing it when I woke to her…' _A small smile forced its way up to the edge of her lips unwillingly, as she recalled to waking up to Bellatrix's lust filled eyes and her fingers entertaining her core. '_It was… A very erotic sight I must admit, and most definitely the best wakeup call I've ever had.'_

A voice from the depths of her mind sharply rose to the surface. '_You barely put any effort into stopping it, you practically invited her in.' _Hissed her conscience, snapping her away from the arousing thoughts, causing Hermione to scowl. '_Shut up, stupid conscience, where was you last night? I didn't hear you protesting then!'_ She snapped at herself, immediately feeling foolish afterwards. '_Great, now I've started arguing with myself… I really am going insane. Bellatrix must be rubbing off on me… Ugh… Now there's a distracting mental image I don't need right now…' _Hermione groaned as she rubbed her thighs together and turned over in her bed, looking over at the raven haired sleeping beauty.

If she hadn't been confused about the woman before, she sure as hell was now; too many conflicting emotions revolved around her, too often did her… Feelings? Change in the blink of an eye. Last night had been a perfect example, as her feelings went from one extreme to the other, first she went from lust to anger, then from anger to hate, and then hate to… She wasn't too sure. She had an idea what it was; it was something positive, something good when associated with most people… But to associate such emotions with Bellatrix… Nothing good could come from that.

Her lust turned to anger when Bellatrix started going crazy. Hermione frowned and brought her hand up to rub her still slightly sore cheek, Bellatrix apparently hadn't been very pleased about Tonks kissing her, and showed her unhappiness by striking her numerous times. That alone should have been enough to reignite her hate for the woman again, but instead while Hermione was angry, she couldn't help but think Bellatrix was acting out of jealousy. Despite the woman shouting her claims of ownership over her, Hermione got the impression it was something more than that.

'_She looked too… Hurt to be doing it out of possessiveness. But why would she be jealous? She despises me; she's only interested in satisfying her needs… Except, last night she didn't… She just pleased me, hell she didn't even undress, if she had wanted to satisfy her own needs, she didn't show it. She didn't even ask, or even demand it of me. So if she's not just after satisfaction… What is it then that gives her reason to act so jealous and hurt?'_

She recalled the look on Bellatrix's face after Tonks had kissed her, and how the dark witch had laid on her bed all day with her back to her after that, not moving, not talking, and not eating. If it had been anyone else, Hermione could have reasonable assumed that the other person had hidden feelings which had just been hurt… After all she had displayed the same behaviour and experienced something similar during her sixth year… But this was Bellatrix Lestrange, not some hormonal school girl. '_This can't be the same… I mean… That would be completely insane to think Bellatrix has… What? Feelings for me…? Surely that's impossible… Isn't it?'_ Hermione tried to ignore the feelings of butterflies in her stomach, and the way her heart lifted at the thought. Instead she shook her head and carried on thinking about what had happened during the night.

Her anger had quickly grown to hate when the older woman brought her friends into the argument, with a comment that made Hermione's blood boil and was enough to make Hermione strike Bellatrix. She almost regretted hitting the woman and even nearly apologised for it, but she couldn't look weak at that moment in time, she had to make a stand for herself. Little did Bellatrix know that her comment cut her deeper then probably she thought would have, it had played on some of Hermione's concerns and worries that she had been plagued with over the past couple weeks. Like the feeling that she had been abandoned by those closest to her and that she was being unfairly treated because of her blood status. Although Tonks had tried to relieve her of such fears, her kind words were being drowned out in the face of the overwhelming evidence that spoke otherwise.

'_Where are Harry and Ron? Why haven't they come to see me…?' _The boys had been free for over a week and not once had they tried to contact her or visit. She tried to reason with herself, to convince herself that there was a perfectly rational explanation. '_They're probably not allowed… Hmm… No… That's not right; Oswin told me weeks ago that nothing had been said about me not being allowed visitors. That's why Tonks has been able to visit… Is it because I haven't been sent a visiting order? Tonks only came after she was sent one… But… Only one was sent, and she's turned up twice, thrice if she turns up again today. Maybe it's because she's an Auror and can turn up whenever.'_

Deep down Hermione wasn't too sure she believed that, after all Kingsley was the Minister now and she doubted that he would have refused them if they had asked to come, visiting order or no visiting order. Hermione gritted her teeth and clenched her fists somewhat, after everything she had done to help the boys, after all the times she had stood by them, surely this once they could do the same for her. '_They haven't even a sent letter to say, they can't come or… Anything!' _She looked down at her shaking fists, then over at Bellatrix again and frowned. '_Maybe… Maybe it wasn't Bellatrix that I hated last night, at least not personally… I think it's more that I hated the fact that she spoke my fears out loud… It made them seem more real…'_

Either way, whatever the reason for her hatred last night was, it soon transformed into something new when their conformation reached its climax. Bellatrix had let something slip during the heated exchange, something that judging from her reaction she never meant to blurt out. '_Because I couldn't… Those were her exact words when I asked why she didn't kill me.' _Her hate had all but vanished in the blink of an eye, curiosity, amazement; they immediately filled the void her hate had left. '_She couldn't kill me; she planned on doing it… But when it came to it… She couldn't. And it's not like she didn't have the stomach to do it, Bellatrix has caused pain, she's tortured and killed many times before, one more time wouldn't have… What? Weighted on her conscience? So why couldn't she?'_

Bellatrix turned pale after blurting it out or paler then usual anyway. Her pupils dilated while her whole body seemed to shake slightly, which wouldn't have been noticeable to the naked eye if Hermione hadn't been holding onto her tight at the time. The older witch's mouth hanged open as she gaped for a few moments open and even begun mimicking a goldfish as she tried to reply to her questions. Even when she did managed to get the words out, it was with a stutter at first. She had claimed she had only let her live to pay off a life debt, for her saving the dark witch's life from the lynch mob after the battle of Hogwarts. Hermione wasn't too sure how plausible that was, as far as she was aware, Bellatrix wasn't the noble and honourable sort. But she might have bought that story, if it wasn't for how her body reacted.

Her curiosity had got Hermione to try and probe further, but Bellatrix quickly withdrew herself from the line of questioning and made a move to escape her company rather quickly. '_What could it be? That could cause Bellatrix of all people, to run from me?' _The decent and polite side in Hermione went that one step further and thanked Bellatrix for not killing her before she left, and she was sure a smile flickered on the older woman's lips. It wasn't one of her deceptive smiles that Hermione was often given, or one of her seductive smirks or even a devious grin… But a genuinely warm smile that had made those butterflies flutter about in her stomach yet again, a feeling that was becomingly more frequently associated with Bellatrix.

The older woman warned her after that she was still in danger, then Bellatrix said something, something that was barely louder than a whisper, something Hermione was sure she wasn't meant to hear, but she did anyway. _'Just not from me...' _It almost sounded like the older woman was telling that to herself for her own benefit. In that moment Bellatrix looked so… Vulnerable in Hermione's eyes, scared almost, like she was in new and uncomfortable territory. The idea that Bellatrix had feelings other than hate for Hermione, positive feelings, resurfaced once again to the forefront of her mind and with it came the feeling of butterflies once more.

Hermione sighed and closed her eyes; she sure as hell wasn't going to work it out anytime soon. As soon as she got close to figuring the dark witch out, she'd go and do something, or say something that would put Hermione back at square one. And it wasn't only Bellatrix's feelings causing confusion, but her own as well, she didn't hate the dark witch like she should, she didn't even entirely fear her anymore. She still had nightmares, but they were growing less frequent, and blurring with… A different sort of dream that involved Bellatrix. With every day that passed, every conversation and interaction they participated in, Hermione felt herself slowly being drawn to the woman.

At first she blamed it on her isolation, on her carnal desires and teenage hormones… But Hermione wasn't naïve, none of those reasons could cause the feelings for Bellatrix that Hermione was experiencing and trying so hard to deny she had. '_I can't have these feelings for her, of all people… It's bad enough that we've… That we've… Ugh… Twice now! But… To have an emotional attachment to her… What if… What if I'm falling for her? It feels like it did for Tonks… But bigger… And deeper… And… Oh Merlin… I am… I'm falling for a Death Eater…'_

With a groan she got up out of bed and headed over to her water bowl where she splashed her face with cold water. '_Ok, snap out of it Hermione, you have bigger problems to deal with… Not much bigger then starting to fall for a Death Eater, but still slightly bigger and more life threatening.'_ Before Bellatrix left she had come up with a plan, a plan that she shared with Hermione. Who in turn needed to share it as Tonks, although she had to pass it off as her own plan, there was no way Tonks would believe Bellatrix… And Hermione rather the Auror didn't root about in the dark witch's mind for the truth, she'd see far too much. If Bellatrix was right, Hermione now knew who the identity of Bellatrix's mystery visitor was, and tonight they'd find out for sure.

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><p>Both Hermione and Bellatrix had been quiet all morning; the dark witch seemed to be too busy reflecting heavily on last night's events to have the time to engage with her. Hermione didn't mind, she found it interesting to watch the workings of Bellatrix's mind as her face and eyes continuously conveyed her own confusion. Both guards made an appearance some point during the morning and the one Bellatrix believed to be the contractor gave nothing away when he saw Hermione alive and well. Hermione grew increasingly nervous about Tonks's visit and the events that would be set in motion after, so much relied on trusting the former Death Eater, something Hermione wasn't too comfortable with.<p>

It was mid-afternoon by the time Tonks turned up, but this time sadly with Oswin in tow. '_Dammit… I needed to tell her in private.'_ After what Bellatrix had told her, not a single person working in Azkaban could be trusted; every single one was a potential collaborator. Bellatrix's face darkened when she saw the pair turn up, although Hermione couldn't tell which one of the two was the reason behind the shift in her demeanour. '_Could be either… Tonks for kissing me, or Oswin because we need privacy… Although this is Bellatrix, it's probably both reasons.'_

Tonks gave Bellatrix a quick dirty look, which the dark witch responded to with a snarl before turning to look at her. "Wotcher Hermione!" Tonks beamed and spoke in her usual energetic and cheerful voice.

"Afternoon Tonks. Afternoon Oswin." Hermione greeted them sweetly and gave them a false smile.

Oswin smiled and gave her a courteous nod as he withdrew his wand from his uniform. "Good afternoon Mrs Granger. I hope you don't mind that I'll be around while this visit takes place, I heard about the disturbance yesterday… And while I personally wouldn't mind Mrs Tonks here knocking her aunt about a little, it is more paperwork for me."

Bellatrix scoffed in the background and casually slid off her bed, a mischievous look played about around her eyes as she stared at Oswin. "Is that so? Take her wand and put her in the cell with me. Then we'll see who gets knocked about." She hissed lowly as she approached the bars.

"Shut it Lestrange." Oswin snapped back over his shoulder as he finished letting Tonks into her cell, the Auror gave her aunt one more dark look before slipping in.

Tonks approached Hermione and gave her a small hug, before they both headed her over to the bed where they took a seat on the edge. "You seem to be in a better mood." Hermione stated, while casting a quick look at Oswin and then Bellatrix, giving the older witch a frown which she replied to by giving her a brisk nod when no one else was watching. '_Hope she has an idea.'_

"Do I? I guess I am. I got a good night's sleep for once." She said with a smile as she stretched and yawned. "Ted's been having trouble sleeping recently and err… Well… I did what you said yesterday. My aunt was around mums when I got back from work, she noticed I was having a little trouble settling Ted and gave me some advice… I didn't appreciate it, but I was civil… Tried it later when she had gone and it worked… Guess I should thank her next time she's around."

Hermione gave a small smile; she knew this was hard on Tonks and she could easily understand why. After all she had lost her husband and father recently, and in their place she was gaining a former follower of Lord Voldemort who indirectly was the cause of her losses. Yes, it would be hard and likely they would never become to close… But they both deserved the chance to build some bridges. "Good. See, she's making the effort too. It will take time, no one is expecting things to change overnight, but you will all get there, if you allow it." She said optimistically, resting a hand on Tonks arm and giving her an encouraging rub.

The Auror's eyes flickered to her hand and smiled warmly. "Yeah, baby steps right? The atmosphere was a little lighter I must admit, dropping one of her antique china cups helped a great deal." A mischievous smirk crossed her lips as she chuckled.

"Not on purpose I hope?"

Tonks grinned then shook her head before lying back on the bed. "You know me, clumsy as they come… Although if smashing one cup was enough to break the ice slightly… Maybe I should consider doing it to the entire set."

"Tonks!" She snapped jokingly and gave the Auror her best chastising glare as she looked down at her and lightly smacked her thigh.

"I kid I kid!" Tonks gave her a slight pout for being hit then laughed at the glare Hermione was giving her. "What about you? You ok?"

'_Dammit…' _Hermione involuntarily sighed at the question, now would be a perfect time to tell Tonks the plan, but Oswin was still watching and listening, Bellatrix looked like she had something in mind and was pacing her cell. '_What is she waiting for?' _"Yeah…"

"You're a terribly liar." Tonks replied, losing the grin as she sat back up. "What's on your mind?"

Hermione pondered this, she couldn't tell Tonks the plan while Oswin was listening, but that wasn't the only thing on her mind and maybe Tonks could shed some light on the other matter. "I was just wondering, are the boys ok? I've… Not heard a word from them since they were released… Thought they would have come to see me by now…"

The Auror flinched slightly and sighed. "I'll be honest; I've not seen them too much recently but…"

"But?" Hermione probed, she was not going to let Tonks off until she had the answers she wanted.

"It's err… Well… What you've got to understand is... It's still sort of hectic out there; things are only just starting to calm down… I'm sure they will be free to visit or contact you soon." Tonks stared fidgeting a lot as she spoke, something Hermione had learnt the Auror sometimes did when she was either lying or hiding something.

She frowned slightly but stopped herself snapping at Tonks, she knew she was putting the Auror in a difficult position and so tried to remain as delicate and diplomatic as possible. "You seem to be keeping on top of it all though."

"Ah I'm just a single mum and an Auror, that doesn't come close to the hectic lifestyle of the saviours of the wizarding world… I… I mean you are one too of course, I'm sure you'll find out what I mean when you leave here." Tonks grinned and nudged Hermione playfully in the side as she teased and joked.

But Hermione didn't fall for it; she wasn't going to let Tonks distract her with her playful and flippant nature. "So… What you're saying is they're basking in their fame?" Hermione said as she came to her own conclusion as she read between the lines.

Tonks's eyes widened as bit her lip and shook her head. "No, no no of course not-"

"What were they actually doing when you saw them?" Hermione asked as she cut Tonks of midsentence.

"Oh they were… You know, being kept busy…"

Hermione narrowed her eyes at the pink haired woman, her patience quickly thinning. "Tonks…"

"I…"

"They weren't doing anything were they?" Hermione spoke in a flat tone of voice as she looked away from Tonks; her remark was more a statement then a question.

She felt Tonks's hand come to rest on her arm and squeeze gently, now it seemed it was Tonks's turn to be reassuring as she spoke softly. "I'm sure I just caught them when they were taking a breather…"

Hermione scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Yeah… Right…"

"Come on… Don't be like this-"

"Don't be like what?!" Hermione finally snapped angrily as she turned her head and glared at Tonks. Her hand came up and gripped Tonks's, giving it a hard squeeze before she forcefully removed it from her. "Don't be hurt or angry that they haven't made an effort to visit or even contact me!?" She said as she continued to shout and hiss angrily up close to Tonks's face. It was only till she paused to calm her fast paced breathing and wipe her misty eyes with the helm of her sleeve, did she realise who she was taking it out on. "Sorry…" She whispered as she gave her the most apologetic look she could muster.

Tonks was unable to hide her shock at the outburst; however she didn't shy away or look angry with her; instead her eyes remained soft as she looked upon her with sympathy. "I'm going to put my arm around you, and give you a little cuddle… That's ok right? You won't try kill me or anything will you?" The pink haired Auror asked her sensitively, while her tone still managed to retain a hint of her playfulness, the corner of her lips twitched and gave her a cheeky smirk. Hermione stared at her briefly then sighed; her angry front faded from her face and was replaced with a soft and amused expression. Smiling warmly she leant into the Auror who happily and quickly put her arm around her shoulder "I'm sure there's a good reason, so when you finally see them… Try letting them explain before you go all crazy on their asses."

Hermione let out a content sigh and enjoyed the embrace for a moment, fully aware of the other two watching her. '_Talking about going crazy… I hope Bellatrix doesn't overact over this… Not that she has any right to…' _While she was curious to what her reaction, she dared not look at the dark witch right now in case it provoked her. "Yeah, I know… Sorry… It's just…" Hermione spoke softly as she looked down at her own fidgeting hands, not knowing how to explain herself. Something that hadn't escaped her notice was that she was starting to become more short-tempered and prone to cynical and slightly darker, more aggressive thoughts and feelings. She had a few ideas about the reasons why that might be, abandonment, imprisonment… Bellatrix. '_Perhaps it is her insanity rubbing off on me or influencing me.'_

Tonks's voice soon snapped her out of her own mind as she nodded and began to speak. "It's just this place… Can turn even a perfectly innocent and sane girl slightly crazy… And especially considering who your neighbour is, I wouldn't be surprised if a little bit of her insanity was rubbing off on you." Tonks looked over at Bellatrix as she scowled, astonishing Hermione by echoing her line of thought. '_Tonks seems to be thinking along the same lines, perhaps that's all it is then.'_ Tonks returned to looking at her, the Auror's eyes narrowed as she studied her then grinned. _"_I mean, you are looking a bit more wild than usual."

Hermione's mouth dropped open and scoffed in amazement. "Thanks!" She said loudly, pretending to be offended she hit the Auror playfully and pouted.

"Hey! It was a compliment, please hurt me!" Tonks giggled and raised her arms in a defensive posture as Hermione hit her again; a look of mock fear momentarily crossed her face before she couldn't help but laugh and stick her tongue out at Hermione.

"Oh shut it." Hermione laughed and hit her arm a few more times.

After laughing together for a few moments and playfully shoving each other back and forth, Tonks spoke up again. "See, I promised I'd have that pretty little face of yours smiling… I kept that promise and I plan on keeping the other one too, we will get you out of here soon."

The sound of someone gagging drew both their attentions away and over to Bellatrix who was looking very repulsed. "Awww isn't that sweet, think I'm going to be sick. Lapdog! I don't want to see such a sickening display, abominations fraternizing with each other… This world really is fucked now." Bellatrix pulled another disgusted face and cackled to herself.

"Then hide under your bed Lestrange, no one cares what you want." Oswin snapped, looking away from Hermione and Tonks to glare at the dark witch.

Bellatrix rolled her eyes and strolled to the bars of her cell, a smirk crossed the woman's lips as she briefly made eye contact with Hermione. "I beg to differ dog. Do you have to stand so close to my cell? It's bad enough I can smell their sticking filthy blood, I don't need the smell of wet dog offending me too!"

Oswin turned to face Bellatrix, almost coming face to face with her "Will you shut up!"

"Make me!"

Hermione watched as the dark witch and the guard got into a heated argument, smiling to herself as she realised what Bellatrix had been waiting for. Bellatrix it seemed had been waiting to start a fight by reacting to her and Tonks, without making it look suspicious. "I would love to shut that mouth of hers… Preferably for good." Tonks muttered darkly as she watched the exchange, Hermione made sure Bellatrix had Oswin's full attention before turning to Tonks. She straddled the Auror and gripped her shoulders, pushing her down onto her back she lent in close. "Woah… This is unexpected… Don't stop." Said the Auror with a seductive smile.

She couldn't help but give her a small smirk in return before growing serious. "Shhh… I need to tell you something while Bellatrix is distracting Oswin." Hermione whispered closely in the pink haired woman's ear, she could feel Tonks's wriggling about under her and felt so bad for choosing this path, but it was the safest.

Tonks blinked in confusion as she looked up at her. "While Bellatrix is distracting Oswin? Almost sounded like you two are in league together and… And you've got that serious face on… Ok, shutting up."

"Don't overact or draw attention to us but…" She paused to make sure Tonks took that in before finishing her sentence. "Someone is trying to kill me."

"Wha-" Predictably Tonks began to overact, which Hermione expected despite warning her and quickly clamped her hand over the Auror's mouth.

"Shhhhh!"

Hermione gave Tonks a serious look and a waited a few moments before slowly removing her hand. "Bellatrix you mean? I know… I saw what she did-"

She cut the Auror off with a quick shake of her head. "No I don't mean Bellatrix, well I do… Sort of… Someone has… Erm… Hired her to kill me, someone that works in Azkaban."

"Wha-" Again Hermione's hand quickly covered up Tonks's mouth and kept it there for a few moments before letting her talk. "What?! Who would-" Tonks whispered lowly after being allowed to talk, only to be cut off by her.

"I think you know who."

"The Goblins?"

"Who else?"

Tonks stared up at her as she pondered what Hermione had said, behind them Hermione could hear Bellatrix keeping up the pressure and holding the guard's attention. "Wait how do you know this?" Tonks finally asked quietly after a couple seconds silence.

'_Now for the hard part…'_ Hermione tilted to the side slightly and gestured her head towards Bellatrix. "She told me."

"And you believe her?" The Auror made a noise of disbelief and shook her head, the look in her eyes clearly showed she, unlike Hermione, didn't believe her aunt. "Hermione she's an insane, twisted fanatic evil psychopath, you should know not to believe a word she says."

Hermione had expected Tonks to disbelief her on that, and since last night she had not stopped thinking about how she could convince Tonks to believe her, without bringing certain details to light. '_Ok here goes…' _"Tonks… Last night… Our cells were opened by… Whoever it is that wants me dead; she had clear access to me. She could have killed me or severely hurt me… But instead she chose to warn me."

Instinctively Hermione covered Tonks's mouth just in case, she hoped the Auror trusted her enough to believe her without the need to pry too much, she had never given her cause to disbelief her and she hoped the Auror wouldn't start now. Tonks's hand came up and gently tried to move hers away, Hermione tightened her grip slightly before allowing Tonks to remove it, praying that she wouldn't still try overreact. "She… What… Why…? I mean… I'm glad… But why did she? I mean she's…" Tonks's voice trailed off, too flabbergasted to know what to say, there was still an underlying disbelieving tone to her voice but Hermione could see in her eyes that the Auror believed her, at least somewhat.

Hermione nodded, she knew what Tonks was trying to get at. "I know… I'm not sure why… She just didn't want to. I know this will sound insane, but she's not as bad as she comes across."

Upon hearing that Tonks almost choked on her own tongue as she coughed and spluttered faintly under Hermione. Behind her Hermione was truly thankful for the sound of Bellatrix's voice growing louder, drawing additional attention to herself rather than Hermione and Tonks. She chanced a quick look back to see Oswin was indeed still focused on Bellatrix, smiling she looked back down at Tonks who had finished recovering. "You're right, that is insane!" The Auror mumbled as she finished regaining her breath.

"Are you sure she didn't hurt you?" Hermione could see that Tonks was studying her with her dark eyes as she spoke; they swept over her and narrowed as they inspected her closely. '_Please Bellatrix… Please tell me you didn't leave any visible marks this time…'_ The dark witch had left more than a couple of marks visible areas of her skin last week, but luckily she had shelves full of toiletries to cover them up with. But this time she had nothing, not even a mirror to check. Tonks hadn't said anything when she first turned up so Hermione had hoped that nothing was on show, but Tonks hadn't been actively seeking for something then and when Tonks gasped sharply, that hope was shattered."Wait a minute! Your cheeks! I thought they looked a little dark, they're bruised!"

Hermione groaned inwardly."Tonks shhh! Keep your voice down!" She said sharply in a hushed voice.

But the Auror didn't reply nor did she make eye contact, instead her hand brushed gently against her cheek then swept down slowly, moving her hair away from her neck and shoulder. Tonks's eyes grew wide rapidly as her mouth dropped open. "Wha… What are these marks? They look like…" Hermione felt her heart break upon hearing the hurt tone in Tonks's voice and the way that Tonks's hair slowly turned a faint saddening blue.

'_Shit… Thanks Bellatrix, thanks a lot…' _Hermione sighed and shook her head, she didn't have time to explain this to her, she knew she would have to now at some point, but for now other matters needed addressing. Hermione's hand came up and gently rested on Tonks's cheek, her thumb drew light circles on her skin in the hope to calm her slightly. "Tonks please… We don't have much time; you have to trust me… You do trust me don't you?" Hermione spoke gently, using her large warm brown eyes to help convey the feelings in her gentle tender heart.

Tonks stared up at her with sad eyes and blue hair to match, for a few moments her mouth kept opening as if to say something then clamped shut again. Her eyes drifted to Hermione's hand as she slowly stroked her cheek then sighed softly. "Of course…"

Sensing that the Auror could use a little pick me up before she went into detail, Hermione placed a soft discreet kiss on her forehead and gave her a small yet sweet smile. "Ok… Well listen close… We have an idea who it is… But you need to catch whoever it is in the act, if you try confronting them now and we're wrong…" Hermione left the end of her sentence hanging, hoping that it would allow her remark to sink in, Tonks seemed to catch her meaning and nodded once. "But I've come up with a plan."

From there Hermione began to whisper in her ear the plan that Bellatrix had come up with, changing slight details so she could pass it off as her own. Tonks did as Hermione had asked and listened close, she didn't interrupt once nor did she overact to what Hermione was saying, she merely nodded at the right moments as Hermione went on.

"What do you think? Can you do it?" Hermione asked her quietly after she finished reciting Bellatrix's plan.

"I think you should have told me sooner… But yes… I can, I'll need to leave right away though to make certain arrangements." The Auror answered her with an unusually serious tone; her features were stern as she slipped into her professional persona.

Nodding, Hermione looked back to see Bellatrix and Oswin still arguing then slipped of Tonks, letting the Auror climb to her feet. Hermione stood up close besides her, and gazed into Tonks's eyes, all the previous softness and warmth had fled her dark orbs. "I… You ok? With me I mean." She couldn't help but ask, partly wanting to check to see if Tonks was ok but also partly wanting to selfishly ease her guilt.

"Like you said, we don't have much time… We'll talk later." Again Hermione felt her heart break, this time at the sharpness in her tone and the way she dismissed her concerns. '_Less then I deserve…' _

Hermione went to say something, but held her tongue before the words fell out. Instead she closed her eyes and sighed, nodding slightly before looking at the blue haired girl. Tonks remained hard faced as she turned away, walking out of Hermione's cell; she looked at Bellatrix briefly, catching her gaze before tapping Oswin on the shoulder. "I need to go, been called into work."

"Oh right of course. I'll show you out, starting to get a headache anyway." Oswin turned to face Hermione, giving her a warm smile before sealing her cell. "See you soon Miss Granger." Hermione nodded and smiled dishonestly before watching the pair disappear.

Both Hermione and Bellatrix listened to the sound of their feet retreating until they could no longer hear them, and then turned to face each other. Hermione braced herself, believing Bellatrix was going to scream and shout at her for how close she and Tonks had been, but the dark witch just smiled seductively. "Well? Is she in?" Bellatrix asked her, not trusting her emotions at the moment; Hermione just gave the older woman a short nod. "You did well my pet, you sure know how to put on a great act." Bellatrix paused to give her a smirk and a wink before looking down the corridor. "Get some rest muddy. It's going to be a long night."

**Bellatrix**

Bellatrix lay in her bed, impatiently tapping her feet together as she stared over at the girl's cell and out of the grate. Night had arrived and her plan was in motion, the girl had done her part by roping in her _niece_, but whether she was truly successful was another matter, only time would tell. '_Really is going to be a long night.' _She thought to herself with a sigh, time had seemed to be purposely dragging on slowly by ever since Tonks had left earlier in the day. '_Will this moron hurry up and make an appearance already!'_

She didn't doubt he would appear tonight, she had _failed_ him again and he would want to know why. '_Why… Why indeed…'_ She dropped her gaze to the girl, the source of all her confusion. '_Why…'_ She wished she knew the answer to that, not for the benefit of her contractor, but for herself… Deep down, she already had an answer, one she had tried so hard to bury. Whether it was the right answer she didn't know, but she did know she didn't want to admit to it… She never wanted to admit to that again.

She cursed the girl under her breath for what she was doing to her, for everything she was bringing back to the surface after all those years. '_Even if it is… That… What use is it to me here? The Dark Lord is gone; he will never return I know that… Just as I know I will never be free again… So again, what use it that to me?'_ This time when she cursed under her breath, it wasn't just the girl it was aimed at, but the Dark Lord too, as well as his followers, her family, her sisters, the whore… But most of all she cursed herself.

Bellatrix watched as the girl shifted on her bed, she knew Hermione wasn't asleep either, no doubt she was waiting to see events unfold, it was her life on the line after all. A Part of her, a foolish part but a part of her nonetheless, wanted to make ideal conversation with the mudblood, in an attempt get to know her better. But she quickly mentally chastised herself for that idiotic desire, for one she had no idea when her contractor would appear, she couldn't risk everything by indulging her curiosity, just in case they were caught… And two, why would Hermione want to participate in mindless chitchat with her, a Death Eater, with someone who's harmed her on more than one occasion. Sure the girl was pleasant and civil enough at times, even to her, but that didn't mean anything significant… The girl was a good person, she was the type who would try to be nice with anyone, but given the option… She wouldn't want to be within a hundred miles of her.

'_Bah… When is he coming! Obviously the lack of sleep is messing with my head!'_ She snorted to herself and starting clucking her tongue as her impatience grew, and after a while she soon found that she had been right to chastise herself about talking to the girl, as a male voice reached her ears. "Still awake Mrs Lestrange? I take it you've been expecting me."

'_About time!'_ Bellatrix thought as she stretched lazily then slowly sat up before she bothered to answer him. "I figured you might show your face, yes." She replied in a bored tone as she pretended to check her nails.

"Then you've also figured out why I'm here." Bellatrix smirked to herself upon hearing the poorly concealed annoyance in his tone.

Yawning to herself, Bellatrix pushed herself out of bed and strolled over to her bars, her eyes quickly found the figure cloaked in the darkness as she looked down the corridor. "Boredom?"

"Closer then you realise, we are growing bored of you fast Mrs Lestrange." The man said with a sharp tongue, again Bellatrix couldn't help but be amused at his emotions leaking out through his charm. '_Shoddy work, someone was in a hurry it seems.'_ His charm was still working enough to distort his original voice, but that didn't matter, not now. "I am here, once more to find out why you failed us yet again."

"You best hope you've silenced her cell, she's been restless all night… I can't imagine why." Bellatrix cackled to herself and quickly wetted her lips. "Poor little mudblood will be having nightmares about last night."

"It is, for unlike you I actually do my job well." He sneered at her from the shadows before adding. "Spare me your false concern for the girl and stop avoiding giving me the answers I seek."

"I'm not avoiding anything you idiot! You've yet to ask." She retorted cheekily and smiled, she was enjoying playing around with him, especially now that she could hear the frustration in his voice.

"If I were you Mrs Lestrange, I'd be very careful right now. We are far from happy with you, just like the girl, your life is in my hands-"

Bellatrix cut him off with a cold icy laugh. "If you were me then you'd know your threats are meaningless! Have you forgotten who I am! Who I served?! You pale in comparison to the Dark Lord and what he could do."

"Is that so? Perhaps we'll put that to the test once the girl has been dealt with."

'_This fool will be in for a shock very soon.'_ "Why are you in such a hurry to see the girl dead?" Bellatrix asked slowly, hoping to get a few answers of her own before the noose tightened around his neck.

"It is none of your concern Mrs Lestrange, especially now it seems you are incapable of carrying out the deed." The mysterious man's voice was cold and menacing, his patience wearing thin.

"I am more than capable of doing the deed!" She hissed darkly, not sure if her reply was more for her own benefit then his. "If your _employers_ are in such a rush to see her dead, why did you hire me? Why not kill her yourself?"

"We all have our… Talents but murder and assassination are not some of mine, at least not directly. Hence why we approached you… But I guess your talents were exaggerated."

Bellatrix growled lowly. "You simply minded fool, how little you know. Those were never where my talents laid, torture and breaking someone however, is what I do best." She spoke slowly, lazily, stressing the talents she prided herself so much on.

The man didn't reply at first, Bellatrix saw a slight movement of his head, as if his gaze had shifted in Hermione's direction despite not having a view of her from his position. "She doesn't seem broken to me."

Smiling to herself, Bellatrix looked over to the _sleeping _girl. "That's the beauty of it; on the outside she looks as strong as ever… But inside, she's broken. Broken and terrified." Said Bellatrix with a soft yet confident tone, ignoring the sharp stabbing sensation piercing her heart. "She'll die on the inside first, much more rewarding."

"And how are you going about that with nothing at your disposal apart from your own body?"

A small smirk crossed her lips, it was time to alter her plan slightly. "You just answered your own question… My _body_." Bellatrix giggled for a moment and gave her contractor a moment to consider what she may have meant… And if the girl had played her part well and things were going as planned, then her comment wasn't just for his benefit. "She can't resist it... And despite what I am, she's allowed me to… _Fuck_ her oh so hard. She _wants _me." Bellatrix paused monetarily when she heard the smallest of sounds, she savoured the reaction to her comment.

Her contractor however didn't seem to notice the sound, grinning devilishly to herself, Bellatrix carried on. "How do you think she feels about that after? What do you think would be going through her mind? Mmm I'll tell you what, she's thinking what would her _friends_ and everyone she knows and cares about say? And how will they react when they discover what she's been doing with a Death Eater?" Bellatrix's smile briefly faltered as her own comment hurt her, knowing that the girl would blame her, hate her, for the consequences of their desires. "The guilt she must feel, the shame, the betrayal… _Her_ betrayal, it's eating her up-"

An angry female voice cut her off. "I've heard enough!" Grinning to herself, Bellatrix looked back down the corridor. The swooshing sound of a cloak being thrown off followed and a figure appeared out of thin air behind her contractor as the invisibility cloak hit the floor and before he could react, the newcomer yelled out her spell. "_Stupefy!"_ A red light briefly illuminated the dark corridor before it hit the man and sent him flying a face paces back and landing face down not too far from her cell.

Bellatrix couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction, not only at seeing the arrogant and foolish man facedown unconscious, but also her niece's reaction. The original plan had been to wait and see if her contractor would offer her another chance on the girl's life before her niece moved in, but knowing that Tonks was listening… Bellatrix couldn't resist enlightening her about Hermione, she wanted to make a point that the girl was hers and hers alone.

"Temper temper Tonksee, you wasn't meant to reveal yourself just yet." She teased as the lights came on.

"Shut your lying mouth!" Tonks snapped as she finished turning the lights on and lowering her wand, she strolled forward with a dark, hateful look on her face and came to a standstill by the unconscious man's side. A movement in the cell opposite caught her eye, Bellatrix looked up and saw Hermione pulling herself out of her bed, having been stirred by the lights coming on.

Hermione strolled to the bars of her cell and smiled at Tonks warmly, but her niece remained hard faced, much to Bellatrix's amusement. "You might want to take the silencing charm down." She said sweetly, Tonks shot her a dark look before swishing her wand in an elegant motion.

The brunette looked at her briefly before dropping her eyes to the body on the floor. "You was right then." Hermione muttered, both her and Tonks followed her gaze looked at the man with black hair wearing guard robes. Tonks nudged the body with her foot and rolled him over onto his back to reveal Gabriel's face. '_So far so good, everything is according to plan… Well almost according to plan.' _She thought to herself and smirked.

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><p><strong>AN:** Hope you enjoyed Chapter 11 ^_^ Thank you for reading and I'll update soon x


	12. Chapter 12: Exposed

**A/N:** Thanks again for all the reviews and support :) Sorry this chapter took so long to get up, some parts proved difficult and…. Got distracted by a new game (The Last of Us is amazing!) Check the bottom A/N after for a question ^^ Hope you enjoy this chapter ;) you'll be in for a couple surprises.

I apologise for any mistakes I might have missed.

**Disclaimer**: The world of Harry Potter and the original storyline are not mine; they belong to J.K. Rowling.

Read, review and most of all… Enjoy!

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><p><strong>Chapter 12: Exposed<strong>

**Bellatrix**

Bellatrix fidgeted uncomfortably on an old wooden chair, the cold hard iron restraints chaffed away at the skin around her wrists and was starting to turn them red raw. The restraints curiously enough didn't entirely restrict her arms; the ends were bolted to the arms of her chair with a short chain between the fastenings which gave her some freedom to flex her upper limbs. The slightest movement of her body would cause the slightly uneven chair to rock; the legs would hit the tiled floor with a dull thud that echoed around the room, much to the annoyance of the other occupants.

Scowling to herself, she looked around the room that her _niece_ had brought her and the brunette to with a small team of Aurors in tow. It was a large rectangular shaped room designed not unlike the bathroom they used, black tiles made up the flooring while the same light grey stonework made up the walls and ceiling with dark mahogany beams forming the same pattern. The two longest walls were lined with a dozen torches each on black iron mounts and the ceiling had a smaller yet more elegant chandelier providing the main source of lighting.

She was left to sit near the back of the room, away from everyone else. On the left hand wall which was closest to her, had several slightly tatty middleclass bookcases and cabinets. One of which seemed to play host to the Head Warden's supply of liquor, something that someone must have had stored away if they voluntarily wanted such a dismal job in the hell of the wizarding world. At the end of the wall was a small side door that led to somewhere Bellatrix didn't care to know about. To her right however, was a similar arrangement of cabinets and this time wooden shelves, but also a large marble fireplace situated in the centre which was burning away brightly.

Several leather chairs sat around a table on a large cream fur rug by the fire with the girl occupying one of the seats. Near the end of the room was a large sturdy desk with three additional leather chairs, two in front of it which were taken by both the Minister and her niece, and another on the opposite side which Head Warden Brown occupied. Compared to the rest of the room, her shoddy chair was very much out of place. It was clear that prisoners were never meant to come to this part of part of Azkaban, never meant to taint the Head Warden's private quarters.

She wasn't sure how long she had been sitting in the office; since arriving she had been interrogated by both Brown and Kingsley over recent events. So far she had been honest and told them almost everything, barring the sexual involvement with the girl. There was no reason to keep her contractors secrets, he meant nothing to her and she was only too glad to drop him in it. While she could have lied and made it hard on them, they would have found out eventually and she rather they didn't root about in her head for the truth. Although that was something she was sure they would do anyway judging from the disbelieving looks on their faces.

Bellatrix frowned and repositioned herself slightly on the seat as her rear began to grow sore. _Thud. _The three around the desk were talking in hushed whispers while drinking refreshments, looking back at her every now and then, when Bellatrix caught Tonks's gaze she smirked slyly when she saw the hurt and hateful glare.

_Thud._ The latest thud got the girl's attention and she looked back at her, her soft brown eyes locked onto hers and after a few moments the girl smiled slightly. Despite herself Bellatrix couldn't help but smile back a little. '_She won't be smiling when she finds out that I… Made sure my niece knew that the girl now belonged to me.'_ A slight twinge of something pricked at her heart… It wasn't that she felt guilty about letting Tonks know that she had claimed her, but she did feel something when she thought about what the girl would say, how she'd feel about her actions. Regret maybe? She wasn't sure, it wasn't exactly a feeling she was used to.

"Well Mrs Lestrange, when Tonks here came storming into my office earlier to fill me in, I must admit I was sceptical at first." The Minister said from the front of the office, drawing her attention in his direction. "While we… Appreciate… What you've done. I find myself wondering why? What are you up to Mrs Lestrange?"

"Again with the _whys_? Because I felt like it, is it so hard for you to accept I did the… _Right_ thing?" Bellatrix scowled at them, ever since they had brought her from her cell, all they had done was ask her why. "I'm beginning to think I would have gotten less hassle if I did kill the _mudblood_!"

The use of the slur gained her some annoyed and angry looks from the occupants of the room, baring Hermione who remained unfazed. "Can you blame us for finding it hard to believe you did this purely out of the good of your heart?" Kingsley went on to say, Bellatrix was about to make a witty comment when she overheard her niece whisper to the Minister '_What heart?'_ Her dark eyes snapped to her sister's whelp, glaring darkly at the insolent girl. "Your memories, as well as Gabriel's, will need checking to verify the truth."

The sound of the brunette choking slightly on her drink drew her gaze for a split second, Hermione was staring down at her cup, the colour in her face had drained and she went deathly pale at the idea of Bellatrix's memories being checked. '_She fears our secret will be found out.' _She mused. "I've told you everything!" She hissed at Kingsley, hoping to deter what he had in mind, not just for the girl's sake, but hers. She had many things in her head that she never wanted to share, things that were too painful for her to bear and while she counted the mudblood whores betrayal as one of them... It wasn't the worst memory she had, it was close, but there was another that trumped it.

"Then you have nothing to hide." Kingsley retorted as he turned in his seat to stand up, but a hand lightly grabbing his arm stopped him.

"I'll do it." Tonks said coldly as she got to her feet. "I'll make sure she has nothing to hide."

Again Bellatrix chanced a quick glance over at Hermione, this time the girl was looking her way. Her large soft brown eyes were open wide; Bellatrix could see the look of despair in her chocolaty orbs as the girls lip trembled and she silently pleaded with her body language for her to resist. Bellatrix's eyes gave no false hope, her lips made no unspoken promises as she looked at her now approaching niece. She would try to resist, but she wasn't sure who she'd try to do it for more, her or the girl. "Like hell you will!" Bellatrix spat down at Tonks feet. "I'm not having filth inside my head!"

"Shut it Lestrange!" Tonks snapped as she pulled out her wand and aimed it her forehead. _Thud._ Bellatrix rocked in her chair, trying to pull away until her niece clamped her spare hand around her jaw, her nails dug into her flesh hard causing Bellatrix to hiss dangerously at her.

"Get… Off… Me!" Bellatrix growled out darkly as she tried to muster her most commanding and intimidating tone of voice. It was a futile effort and she knew it, her niece was many things but scared of her wasn't one of them, all it did was give her another reason to tighten her iron grip on Bellatrix's face.

"_Legilimens!" _A blunt force accompanied Tonks's cold tone, a force that struck her mind hard as her niece tried to force her way in. Bellatrix's brow creased as she tried to resist the forceful intrusion, she would have snorted and laughed at the effort under different circumstances, compared to the Dark Lord, her niece's attempts barely classed as a tickle. But as a result of her incarceration she was underfed, out of shape and out of practice, not to mention she hadn't slept yet, whereas her now orange haired niece was in her prime, she wasn't too sure if she could keep her out indefinitely. The sound of thumping echoed around the inside her mind as Tonks continued to hammer at her barriers, Bellatrix could see the strain amidst the determination in her niece's eyes. '_She's desperate to know if what I said was true.'_ She thought with mild amusement, she couldn't help but imagine the look on her face if she saw those images… And with that thought, her concentration waned, weakening her barriers enough for Tonks to barge her way in. '_Fuck.'_

Images freely poured before her mind's eye as Tonks began her search, Bellatrix tried to wilfully force her out but in her state she couldn't halt the Auror's momentum. Instead she tried to throw images in her way, hoping her past actions would _disgust_ her enough to make Tonks want to retreat… It almost worked when she threw Sirius's death in her face, her niece briefly faltered and she felt her despair, but it didn't last long, that despair became a hateful force which continued to plough through her memories.

Fear filled Bellatrix and her heart almost stopped beating when the memories revolving around the Longbottoms began to surface, she tried hard to keep them buried but Tonks must have sensed her desperation and tried harder. She had to keep that secret above all else, she had managed to keep it hidden for over three decades and she wasn't about to let it slip now. And so, cursing her niece, she let her see the memories she was after, her encounters with her contractor Gabriel and her activities with Hermione.

Images of darkness and shadows delivering poisonous messages flashed before them, each encounter was re-enacted word for word before the images then shifted to the previous two sexual rendezvous with the girl. Images of passionate and forceful kisses, their sensual skin on skin contact as their hands explored each other's bodies, the noises the girl made when she touched her where she needed it most and how she begged for Bellatrix to fuck her. The latest images showed how she had abused the girl's body, insulted her, dominated her and most of all, how much the girl had enjoyed being treated in such a way. Those one's proved too much for Tonks, Bellatrix could feel how quickly her despair returned, this time in force, and her agonising heartbreak and her anger at what she saw as a betrayal.

Her niece's grip tightened till her arm began to tremor under the continuous strain, the hate Bellatrix could see in Tonks's dark eyes had never burnt as fiercely as it was now. Tonks's wand lowered slightly, only to then jab hard against her neck, twisting it as she bit down on her lip, her hair changed from a fiery orange to jet black. '_Bless her, Tonksee wants to kill me.' _Bellatrix thought as she gave her heartbroken niece a dark smile. '_But she doesn't have the guts.'_ "Do it." She whispered, just loud enough for her niece to hear. "Go on, two simple words… I'm sure even filth like you can manage it." Bellatrix continued to goad her, tilting her head back to give Tonks better access but not once did she break eye contact and still the spell never came, despite how clear the desire was.

"So… Weak… Just like your mother!" Tonks's face grew even darker as she insulted Andromeda, Bellatrix could feel the hate radiating off her. '_Just a little further and I'll be free.' _"So pathetic… Look at you, just standing there feeling sorry for yourself, powerless to do anything because you're too weak to do the deed… I _fucked_ her and she loved it." And with the latest taunt, Bellatrix finally got a reaction.

_Thud. Thud. _Her chair rocked hard as Bellatrix recoiled on her seat from the backhanded slap Tonks delivered. The blow had left her staring hard at the floor to the side, her cheek stung something rotten and if Bellatrix had the use of her hands, she might have even swallowed her pride to stroke the stinging flesh. '_Well… She definitely got that from her grandmother.'_ She thought, slightly amused at what her mother would say if she knew her abomination of a grandchild inherited something from her.

Bellatrix looked back when she heard the sound of her niece's retreating footsteps as she headed back over to the Minister and the Head Warden. "She spoke the truth." Tonks said with no hint of emotion to her boss and together all three of them started talking again in hushed voices, although she did hear her name mentioned, as well the mudbloods. The reminder of the girl gave Bellatrix cause to look over in her direction, worry and fear was etched onto the brunette's deathly pale skin, her eyes seemed to be begging her for reassurance, but she only needed to hold Bellatrix's gaze to know that there was none to be found.

Not knowing what to say or do, Bellatrix dropped her gaze and peered back over to the desk at the front. '_We all must live with our actions, even a member of the precious golden trio. It's not my job to comfort and reassure the girl, why should I even care? She was just a plaything used to add a bit of excitement to my imprisonment… Nothing more...' _But just like her previous thoughts regarding her _feelings_ or lack of feelings for the girl, she wasn't sure if she believed it, she could shout it from the top of her lungs with the utmost conviction, yet part of her still would be nagging inside and questioning it. There had been very few points in her life where she ever questioned herself, she had always known her own mind and her body, and had always been certain in her beliefs after joining her former master. But not anymore it seemed, at least, not in matters regarding the mudblood girl.

A knocked on the door behind drew her attention and turned her head. "Enter." Head Warden Brown said.

The door opened and in stepped Oswin. "I came as soon as I got your message sir." Oswin said as he closed the door behind him, when he turned back around, his eyes flickered between herself and Hermione, his eyes widened ever so slightly before quickly shaking it off and walking over to the head of the room.

"I'm sorry to drag you out at this hour Harrington. But a matter has arisen in a wing under your jurisdiction and as Deputy Head Warden I believed you'd want to be present." Brown said with a slight smile to Oswin.

"That's perfectly alright sir, I was still awake writing up reports anyway." Oswin came to a stop by Tonks's side before turning his head to look in her direction. "Would I be right in guessing Lestrange is somehow involved in this matter?"

"As it happens, you would be. But not in the way you're thinking." Brown's gaze shifted from Oswin to Tonks and gave her a slight nod. "Could you fetch him in for us please Mrs Tonks." Nodding silently, Tonks rose from her seat and left the room swiftly while Brown summoned a mug and poured out Oswin a drink from the refreshments on his desk. "Here, it's going to be a long night."

"Thanks." Taking the mug from his boss, Oswin cradled it between his hands, drawing on the warmth from his cup to heat up his hands. "So what is going on then?" Oswin asked casually as he walked over the fire for additional warmth, giving Hermione a small smile as he lent against the mantle.

"I'll explain in a second when Mrs Tonks returns_" _The Head Warden said before turning to say something quietly to Kingsley. _Thud._ Bellatrix shifted in her seat uncomfortably as she watched Oswin and waited for her niece to return. '_Things are about to get very… Interesting.' _She mused as she forced back a smirk.

Less than five minutes had passed before the door opened again behind her and the sound of feet being dragged along the floor followed. _Thud._ Bellatrix turned again in her seat to watch Tonks and another Auror drag an unconscious Gabriel in and lead him to the front of the room, dropping him into Tonks's former seat. "Gabriel?" Oswin asked with a puzzled expression as he looked at his colleague, who now had the pair of Auror's wands fixed on him.

Brown lent back in his seat and took a sip of his drink before sighing and shaking his head. "It would seem Mr Clark here has been leading a double life. Someone hired him to contact Mrs Lestrange and to get her to carry out a task."

_Thud._ Oswin briefly glanced at Bellatrix, glowering at her before meeting the Head Warden's gaze. "What sort of task?"

"To kill Miss Granger, Mr Harrington." It was the Minister who answered Oswin's question as he nodded his head in the girl's direction, giving her a sympathetic smile when he caught her eye.

"What!" Oswin almost dropped his hot mug in surprise; his eyes swept from Kingsley to Gabriel, staring hard at his colleague before looking back at his boss. "Is that what has happened tonight? Lestrange tried to kill her?"

"Actually, Mrs Lestrange chose to warn Miss Granger." Once again the Minister was the one to answer Oswin.

Bellatrix rolled her eyes at the shocked face Oswin pulled when he heard the Ministers answer. _Thud. _ Her chair once again thudded against the floor when she moved to get more comfortable, which earned her a few annoyed looks for causing an interruption. "Oh for the love of Merlin!" Tonks snapped as she whirled on the spot. With a flick of her wrist, she casted a quick charm on Bellatrix's chair which nullified any further noises. Bellatrix bit her tongue as she fought back a clever comment, while she would have loved to wind up Tonks some more, she was rather more interested in seeing how events were about to unfold and instead just gave her highly irritated niece a sly smirk.

"Why?" Oswin asked once he had gotten over his apparent shock. "I mean, why did she decide to protect Miss Granger? I'm happy she did… But… Why? She must be up to something."

"She is seating right here you moron!" Bellatrix snapped in annoyance. '_I swear … If I have to sit through another barrage of why's… I'll kill someone!'_

Kingsley turned his head to look at her with a calm look on his face. "Miss Lestrange, please." He said surprisingly softly to her before looking back up at Oswin, who Bellatrix noticed was starting to get slightly anxious. "Tonks here checked her memories and verified that she spoke the truth. We're just about to check Gabriel's and hopefully learn who is behind this."

"I… See… Good… That's good…" Oswin took a swift drink from his mug before walking along the fireplace, casually taking a step closer to the door. "Shall I get Gabriel's personnel file?"

"No need, I already have it." Brown said as he patted a folder on his desk before exchanging a glance between Tonks and Kingsley, both nodded discreetly while Oswin took another sip from his mug.

"Oh right good…" Oswin finished the contents of his cup and placed it on the mantle of the fireplace with a shaky hand as he stood by Hermione's chair.

Brown sighed and said something quietly to Kingsley that Bellatrix couldn't make out, but she could guess what was said as Tonks and the other Auror turned their attention to Oswin. "You worked with Mr Clark, Mr Harrington. Do you have any idea who might have put him up to this?" Kingsley asked seemingly innocently.

"I do, it was me." Oswin blurted out before he then quickly covered his mouth with one hand, his eyes grew as large as saucers and his eyebrows rose up high sharply, his eyes then darted to the mug he had drank out of and understanding must have dawned on him as his blue orbs grew cold and harsh.

His admission gave Tonks and her fellow Auror enough reason to turn their wands on him; but Oswin made his move first, his hand wrapped around Hermione's arm before she could move away and pulled her up to use her as a shield. Bellatrix hissed lowly as she struggled in her seat, powerless to do anything as events unfolded. '_I told them about him! Why did they let him get close to her!'_

"Don't make things worse on yourself Mr Harrington, just drop your wand and let's talk about this." Kingsley said with a calm voice as he remained seated.

Oswin laughed as he pressed the tip of his wand hard into the girl's neck. "I don't think so; you put Veritaserum in my drink didn't you? Then you'll believe me when I say that if you don't drop your wands, I'll kill her." He spat out as he tightened his grip around Hermione, Tonks looked nervously at Kingsley who nodded slightly to her. Glaring darkly at the guard, Tonks dropped her wand along with her colleague. "Kick them over and don't ask me anything! Ask one question and she'll die!"

"You won't escape Mr Harrington, just calm down and let her go; I'll promise your cooperation will be taken into account." The Minister said as Tonks kicked her wand over.

Bellatrix watched as the wand bounce and rolled along the floor, too busy caught up in what he was doing; Oswin paid no heed to it as it came to a stop not far from her chair. "Let me worry about escaping Minister." Oswin retorted as he took a step slowly back, dragging Hermione along with him.

Looking back and forth between Oswin's back and Tonks's wand, Bellatrix slowly started rocking side to side on her now silent chair as she slowly gained momentum. Her actions caught the gaze of those at the head of the room; their eyes were filled with mixed emotions and concern as they caught on to what she had in mind but remained absolutely silent. Oswin seemed too had completely forgotten about her behind him, which she guessed was most likely because he didn't feel her to be a threat while bound and defenceless.

Something that continued to remain true, right up till the point her chair toppled over and crashed silently to the floor. Her body however didn't remain silent as it she hit the stone floor hard with a low thud which thankfully wasn't loud enough to draw Oswin's attention. Her head smacked against the floor and it took a measureable amount of restraint to not make a single sound as pain flooded throughout her head, the warm feel of blood trickled down her forehead from the head wound.

One of the chairs arms had broken off on impact, freeing up the use of her left hand. Gritting her teeth she quickly but silently pulled herself over to the wand before Oswin could decide to look back. Her slender digits wrapped around her niece's wand, slowly she raised her arm and pointed it at Oswin's back. '_Expelliarmus!'_ Her silent disarming charm sent Oswin's wand flying across the room. He spun on the spot in shock to see her pointing Tonks's wand directly at him, the girl caught on first and took advantage of his confusion by driving her elbow into Oswin's stomach.

Oswin's grip loosened enough from the unexpected attack to allow Hermione to pull herself free and move clearly away from the guard. Bellatrix's eyes followed her briefly before turning her attention back to a now fearful Oswin, out of the corner of her eye she saw Kingsley and Brown draw their wands while Tonks retrieved Oswin's wand. "So about that talk-" Oswin began to say but was stopped in his tracks when Bellatrix hit him with a full body-bind curse, causing him to fall back rigid to the floor.

Even after Oswin hit the floor, Bellatrix didn't relax her arm and instead pointed her niece's wand at its former owner when she saw Tonks aiming Oswin's wand at her.

"Bellatrix… Thank you." Hermione said softly from somewhere to her side, glancing over in the direction of the voice, she watched as the young witch slowly approached her. From the corner of her eye she continued to keep an eye on her niece, not lowering her wand or her guard even as Hermione lowered herself to her knees beside her. "You're hurt… Here… Give me the wand and let me clean you up." The girl asked gently as she held out an open hand.

Bellatrix blinked up in her in mild confusion, not knowing exactly how to react. On one hand she wanted to snap and shout at her for not only telling her what to do and acting so familiar with her, but for doing it in front of others too. But on the other hand, she felt slightly… Touched… And somewhat warm inside for the concern and care for her wellbeing that the girl was showing, in front of others, even in front of her niece. '_Stupid… Mudblood…'_ She thought as she slowly handed over the wand.

The girl smiled sweetly as she took it off her, a smile that didn't make her feel unpleasant inside. With a flick of the brunette's wrist, the girl freed her from the other restraint then helped her to sit up as Kingsley and Tonks moved closer towards her. "Well, I guess we owe you our gratitude again Mrs Lestrange." The Minister said as he came to a halt in front of her, the smallest hint of a smile graced his lips.

Bellatrix snorted and frowned up at the Minister as the girl started to clean her up. "Well that wouldn't have happened if you had believed me in the first place, ouch!" She snapped as she looked at Hermione, the girl muttered a quiet apology; her large soft brown eyes softened Bellatrix's hardened features. Twitching the corner of her mouth up into a smile, she watched the girl work for a moment, enjoying her soft and gentle warm touch before looking back up at Kingsley. Her small smile grew into a sly smirk when she saw the hurt and frustrated look on Tonks face as her hands shook at her sides.

"We listened, but we still had to give him a chance in case you were wrong. If you weren't involved though, what made you suspect Mr Harrington?" Kingsley asked with a hint of suspicion.

Bellatrix rolled her eyes and made a disrespectful noise, she didn't answer right away and instead looked at both the unconscious guards. "Gabriel was far too obvious, while Oswin… Was nice, too nice… Too soft… People like that don't choose to work in hell."

"Oh? And what kind of people do choose to work here then?" Brown spoke up from behind his desk at the other end of the room.

She looked past Kingsley and Tonks to meet the Head Warden's gaze, studying him for a few moments before she answered him. "_Broken_ people… People who have suffered either directly or indirectly at the hands of… _Scum._" She blurted out bluntly in an insensitive tone of voice. "Those people come here with a secret agenda… A _mission. _A personal vendetta. A desire to see those imprisoned here, suffer." The Head Warden stared at her with narrowed eyes before he left her gaze.

Hermione's hand gently touched the side of Bellatrix's face and turned her to look directly at the brunette as the young witch pressed the tip against the gash on her forehead. Bellatrix felt the flow of blood seeping out stop and the pain lessen till it was no more than a mild irritation. "… Thank you." Bellatrix whispered lowly and gave the girl a genuine smile, and just for a moment, Bellatrix forgot everyone else in the room, all she could see was the girl as she smiled back

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><p><strong>Hermione<strong>

Hermione sat nervously on one of the leather chairs in front of the Head Warden's desk as she waited for Kingsley to return. The Minister had left with Tonks to question both the guards in an interrogation room while Bellatrix had been taken to the resident mediwitch to get checked over, before most likely being returned to her cell.

'_I wonder what happens now…'_ She thought as she began to fidget, she felt slightly uneasy at being left alone with Brown in the office due to the awkward tension that seemed to hang thick in the air. She couldn't put her finger on what was causing the heavy atmosphere in the room, but she knew it was something to do with Head Warden… And while she didn't believe she was in danger, the way he was seemingly avoiding her gaze and putting distance between them was starting to make her feel very uncomfortable.

Just as she gathered the courage to try and break the ice, Brown spoke first. "I'm sorry that this has happened Miss Granger." He said with his back to her as he drank from a small glass.

"It's ok; it's not your fault." Hermione said kindly as she stilled her hands and watched the man closely as he took another drink.

Brown turned slightly to look over his shoulder. "Isn't it? I hired him."

"He was a good liar, don't blame yourself for that." '_I don't, he fooled me too…'_ She added silently to herself. Oswin's deception still disheartened her; she thought she had matured enough over recent years to be a bit more suspicious of people and not so quick to trust people she had only just met. '_I was so preoccupied with Bellatrix that I didn't see the danger right in front of me… I wonder why he did it? What did I ever do to him?' _She hoped that Kingsley would have at a couple answers for her by the time he was finished with Oswin.

"Even so… I shouldn't have taken a back seat in your care, I left you solely in his hands because… I couldn't face you. I couldn't face either one of you three." Brown went back to avoiding her gaze as he said that in a surprisingly hurt tone of voice, sighing loudly; he walked towards the liquor cabinet and pulled out a large bottle filled with a dark amber liquid. He popped the stopper as he poured out two glasses. '_Firewhiskey.'_ She mused as she caught a whiff of the strong alcoholic beverage which momentarily distracted her from her confusion.

Shaking her head and clearing her nose of the intoxicating smell, she blinked up at the old blonde haired man. "Huh? …Why?" Hermione asked, not even attempting to hide her confusion at the man's admission.

Brown fumbled with the two glasses as he looked right past her, as if he was locked in an internal struggle. "Because you three served as a big reminder to what I lost… Who I lost." The sadness in his tone was clearer this time, as was the sad look in his eyes when his gaze fell to her. "Mrs Lestrange was right about what she said about those that work here, or at least she was in my case. I took this job after I lost someone in the war… At Hogwarts no less."

The Head Warden walked over and handed her one of the glasses before taking his seat at the desk. Hermione stared down at the dark amber liquid, she very rarely touched the stuff and usually in very small doses as she found it went straight to her head, but she had a feeling she might want it after this. "I… I'm sorry… Who did you lose if you don't mind me asking?" She asked the older man softly, many people had died during the battle of Hogwarts, she had seen all the bodies lined up in the Great Hall not long after the fighting… And those are the ones that had been found right away, Merlin knows how many were uncovered over the days after the battle.

"I guess Brown is a fairly common family name, both in the muggle and wizarding world." He said with a slight smile before opening one of his desk draws and pulling out a photo frame which he slowly extended out to her.

Hermione hesitated for a moment before taking the photo and looking down at the people waving at her; she gasped sharply and almost dropped her glass when she recognized who was in the photo. "That's… Lavender… Oh god… You're Lavender's father? I am so sorry…" Hermione said quietly as she stared down at her former fellow housemate, the lively blonde wore a huge smile on her face as she hugged her father and kissed him on the cheek. '_Oh Lavender… I'm sorry…'_

She looked up sombrely and slowly handed the photo back to Lavender's father as she fought back the tears. She had never been close to Lavender, but she still mourned the loss of the girl, despite what had gone on between them over Ron, Lavender had been a good person… She didn't deserve to die the way she did. "Yeah… When I heard I lost my little girl… I wanted nothing more than to get revenge. So when I heard this job was going, I snapped it up… Knowing her killer was here, knowing I could make his life hell." Brown stared down at the photo of his daughter, the briefest of smiles flickered onto his lips. He stroked the photo with a single finger as a tear fell and splattered softly on the frame. "I failed her… I failed to protect my little princess, the most I can do now is to make sure scum like Fenrir never get the chance to kill anyone else's loved ones… Anyone else's little girl…"

"I… I tried to save her… I blasted him off her but…" Hermione's voice died down as she found that she was unable to bring herself to say it out loud, she bit her bottom lip as tears slowly began to trickle down her cheek. '_When… If I get out… I guess this will be something I'll have to face, people who lost loved ones.'_

"I know, I heard… I am truly grateful you tried." Lavender's father said with a small smile before taking one last look at the photo before putting it back in the draw. "She admired you, you know. I know she probably never showed it, especially during and after the incident with Mr Weasley." Hermione's mouth fell open as she stared at the older man. A strong sense of guilt filled the pit of her stomach as Mr Brown touched upon what had gone on during her sixth year. '_She lost the only person she had been with… Or ever would be with… To me… And I'm not even sure I want him, not in the way she wanted him… I mean… If I did, I wouldn't be so confused about Bellatrix…'_

A timely chuckle from the Head Warden regained her attention before her mind was able to wonder about Bellatrix. "It's ok, no need to panic. I was young once, and I know how jealous and well, how much she could overact. She could be such a little madam at times…" The grieving father's eyes began to mist over as he took a large swig from his glass and looked over at the fireplace, the burning fire reflected deep in his eyes as stared at the flames. "But she was my little madam, my little princess… She didn't deserve to die like that…"

Hermione dropped her gaze from the man, feeling slightly awkward at the position she was in. She believed that Lavender's father could use some time alone to mourn in peace, but… She was still a _prisoner_… A VIP prisoner maybe but a prisoner nonetheless, she could hardly just up leave. So instead she picked up her glass and downed the dark amber liquid in two large gulps. Instantly she regretted the haste in which she drank the strong liquor as a fiery sensation quickly followed that engulfed her taste buds. The fiery liquid scorched her throat as it travelled down her, her stomach churned once the liquid filled it up, causing her to discreetly clutch at her gut. '_How can people drink that vile stuff?!' _The burning sensation died down somewhat after a while, but she could still feel the lingering taste burning at the back of her throat.

She sat there feeling slightly lightheaded as she left the older man to his thoughts while she waited for Kingsley to return. Hermione had no idea how much time had passed when the door opened, looking back she saw the now brown haired Auror return alone. "He's all yours now." Tonks said as she walked over to Brown's desk, not once did she look at Hermione as she approached.

Brown nodded and put down his empty glass as he stood up; he retrieved a file from his desk and left without saying a word. Hermione watched him leave; she stared at the door after it closed behind him for a few seconds before she turned in her seat to look up at Tonks who was standing by the desk. The usually soft and warm Auror, who nearly always had a smile on her face and a bounce in her step… Stood with a stern posture, her face was hard and her eyes cold. The Auror hadn't said a word to her personally since her visit earlier in the day, where she had saw the love bites on her neck… And that was before she had dove into Bellatrix's mind. '_She knows… She must have seen everything…'_

When Tonks had volunteered to be the one to search through Bellatrix's memories, Hermione felt her world come crashing down even further then she thought possible. She had been almost positive Tonks would see, what had taken place between her and Bellatrix when she dived into her aunt's mind, but she had hoped… That maybe Bellatrix could have kept it hidden. She had took a guess that Bellatrix would be as skilled in Occlumency as she was in Legilimency; logically assuming that as the Dark Lord's most faithful servant, who would have been privy to some of his secrets, must have been able to keep them hidden in her mind. But even the most skilled Occlumens would have found themselves hampered by the effects of incarceration, and judging by the way Tonks acted after, it was safe to assume that Tonks had overcome her. '_Unless… Unless Bellatrix showed her on purpose? Bellatrix was none too pleased with her kissing me… Showing her would have been the perfect way to get back at her niece...'_

'_She knows…'_ She thought again, even if Bellatrix did show her on purpose, it didn't change the fact that Tonks would now know. '_What do I say… What can I say?'_ She bit her lip as she felt her eyes begin to mist over once more, Tonks was one of her closest friends, if not her closest, she didn't know what she'd do if she lost that friendship and deep inside herself she could feel her heart breaking at the idea of losing her.

She gathered her courage and forced back the tears as she calmed herself before taking a deep breath. "Tonks… Are you ok?" Hermione asked, immediately feeling stupid afterwards. '_Ugh… Stupid question, of course she's not…'_ She thought with annoyance at herself.

Tonks, who had her gaze fixed on the wall, looked down at her slowly. "What do you think?" She asked back with a slight edge to her voice.

"I…" Hermione shut her mouth as she looked up at the Auror's emotionless eyes. '_I should… Just come clean…'_ She sighed and dropped her gaze to her feet. "I take it you saw…" But the words wouldn't come out, she didn't know how to say it without hurting Tonks anymore then she must already be hurting.

"Saw what exactly Granger?" The older witch asked lowly, the use of her surname drew a single tear from Hermione's eye. She quickly wiped it away and stifled any further tears, but she didn't answer Tonks, her tongue had tied itself in a knot and her throat constricted, making it suddenly very difficult to breath. "Oh do you mean did I see you and my aunt_…_ _Fucking_?" Hermione flinched at the harsh tone Tonks used and merely nodded in reply as tears forced their way through her lashes. "Then yes, I saw… Crystal clear."

Hermione fought hard to stay in control of her own body and not to break down, she could hear just how just how hurt Tonks was. The Auror tried to mask the sorrow in her tone with her anger… But Hermione still picked up on it and as she stared up at the shaking woman, she could see her icy gaze slowly thawing and the onset of approaching tears. Hermione's heart shattered as she watched how fast Tonks was starting to break down, jumping to her feet Hermione reached out to comfort her ex-lover.

But Tonks threw off her hand and pushed her away. "Don't… Touch me…" She just about sobbed out.

"Tonks… Please…" Hermione tried to approach her again, but the look Tonks was giving her, stopped her dead in her tracks.

"No… Just… Don't…" Tonks muttered then wiped her tears away with the sleeve of her robe. "We're not doing this here… Not right now."

"Tonks please, we have to talk…" Hermione took a step closer as she pleaded.

"I said no!" The now orange haired Auror snapped loudly before turning her back on Hermione. "Kingsley should be along soon, he headed straight to Gringotts after we interrogated Oswin."

Hermione's eyes widened at the mention of the wizarding bank. '_He's gone to see the Goblins?'_ "Gringotts? He's gone to see the Goblins? Why what did Oswin say?" She asked in a hurried and impatient tone of voice.

Tonks looked over her shoulder at her then indicated to one of the chairs by the fireplace. Hermione watched Tonks for a moment, trying and failing to read the expression on the Auror's face, turning on her heels, Hermione headed over to the fireplace and took a seat with Tonks following and taking the one furthest from her. "As you guessed, Oswin was hired by the Goblins, or at least a Goblin. Although he never saw his face." Both witches simultaneously frowned at that before Tonks continued to tell Hermione what they had learnt. "It appears Oswin was secretly finically in debt to them, they paid of his debt and deposited a large sum of gold into his account with an even larger sum promised once you were dead."

"Wha… Money? He did it for money?" Hermione pulled a disgusted face at the comment before something clicked and she grew fearful. "There's…. There's a price on my head?"

The Auror's hardened and serious face grew slightly softer and sympatric before looking away and nodding. "It appears so… Kingsley has been keeping the pressure on them, trying to get you released. The Goblin's… Didn't want you ever going free and knew they couldn't keep you in here indefinitely. So they hired Oswin in the hope to kill you before they could be… _Persuaded_ to let you go."

"And… What about Gabriel? Was Bellatrix right?" Hermione asked carefully, knowing that mentioning Bellatrix might cause an unneeded reaction from the young Auror right about now.

Tonks's jawline tightened as her hands dug into the arms of the chair before nodding once. "Yes. The Goblin's didn't want to risk being connected with your death at all. They would have been suspected of course, but that's it, as long as there no proof. That's why they wanted to use… _Lestrange_. No one would really think twice about _Lestrange _killing a muggleborn, because she's a psychotic evil bitch."

Tonks paused to look at her out of the corner of her eye, her eyes seemed to say _'Did you forget that?'_ before she looked back at the flames. "But she wasn't the only scapegoat Oswin used. In case things went wrong with her, Oswin used the Imperius Curse on Gabriel and used him to pass on messages to Lestrange and to do all the dirty work… His memory has been heavily altered and damaged with motives implanted. We would never have suspected Oswin initially and by the time we may have, he would have been long gone."

Hermione nodded and sighed softly as she joined Tonks in looking into the fireplace. Bellatrix had told her she had suspected that Gabriel was under the Imperius Curse, she had said that, that day after their… Sexual encounter in the bathroom, she had seen a familiar look in his eyes, one that she had saw often while in the Dark Lord's service, the look of someone fighting for control. Hermione had relayed that on to Tonks along with everything else, who in turn had past it onto Kingsley. But all that had meant was someone else was involved, the only thing that implicated Oswin was Bellatrix's gut feeling.

But being a convicted Death Eater, her view wasn't worth much, which was why the use of Veritaserum was implemented into the plan. If Oswin was involved and Gabriel had been caught, he would have fled soon after, before he could become a suspect. They couldn't arrest him on a Death Eater's word, but neither could they risk losing him, so it had been arranged that Brown would bring Oswin in with a vague message where he'd then be given a drink with the truth telling serum inside. From there, the Minister would ask an equally vague question that would either confirm Oswin's involvement or clear him of suspicion._ 'Lucky it worked… Not sure how he would have reacted to being given Veritaserum if he was innocent.'_

Hermione continued to think things over as the pair of them sat in silence for some time, every now and then they stole looks at each other and a few times Hermione almost attempted to talk to Tonks before holding her tongue at the last minute. _'She'll talk to me when she's ready… Oh won't that be a pleasant conversation… But it will be less than I deserve…'_ Deep down she welcomed a confrontation, because at least then she'd have an idea just how much their friendship was in ruins. Would it be salvageable? Would Tonks never want to see her again? The latter broke her heart all over again, but she wouldn't cry, she didn't feel she deserved the sympathy her tears might bring.

She was almost dropping off to sleep when the flames roared up in front of her, making her jump sleepily out of her chair. Kingsley stepped out from the fireplace; he dusted himself off before looking cheerfully at the two woman in front of him.

"Did it go well Kingsley?" Tonks stood up as she asked; using the softest tone Hermione had heard her use all night.

"Oh I'd say so." He beamed before walking over to Brown's desk and pouring himself a drink. "I spoke with Varnuk, the Chief Goblin of all the Goblin clans in Britain and Head Goblin at Gringotts. He's the one who's been perusing Miss Granger so heavily over what happened. I confronted him about the Goblin's involvement on your life Miss Granger, which of course he denied-"

"He denied it? Did he not see Oswin's memories?" Tonks interrupted looking annoyed.

"Oh I showed him and as expected he accused us of wizard trickery. It's clear he never intended the recent negations to result in Miss Granger's release." Kingsley smiled at the two woman, confusing Hermione as to what Kingsley had meant by '_going well'_ when clearly it sounded otherwise, but held her tongue and waited for Kingsley to explain some more. "Desperate times call for desperate measures. It is one thing to allow this imprisonment to go on with the hope of freedom on the horizon, but it's another matter entirely to know they want Miss Granger killed. So I told him, the wizarding community would not stand idly by with the knowledge that one as one of our saviour's life was in danger, and that we'd fight, we may not be at full strength, but we would take them down with us."

Hermione's jaw dropped open as she stared blankly at the Minister, not far from her Tonks was mimicking her expression. '_Surely he's not… Talking about war? All over me?' _Before she could squeak out a protest, Kingsley chuckled softly as he took a drink. "Don't look so worried, like I said it went well. He didn't call my bluff and instead we reached a compromise. He made it very clear that this isn't over but in the meantime… As from now, you are a free woman again Miss Granger."

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><p><strong>AN: **Hope you all enjoyed Ch12 :), who was expecting that then? :D A few readers have asked me about Blackcest, so I'm curious to how other readers feel about Blackest as a side pairing? I won't say who might be involved, but it won't be Bellatrix :) Anyway, stay tuned and I'll update soon :) x

**Goth Albino Angel:** Well you can safely assume Hermione will be finding out soon why Harry and Ron haven't seen her, now she's free ;) Poor poor Tonks, Hermione will definitely be having a hard chat ahead of her.

**alex1966:** You was right to assume Oswin was far too nice :P deep down he turned out to be an evil bastard.

**LoveSKINS94:** Haha well maybe Hermione will slap them for you now she's free :p

**DrunknMunky85:** Ah well that depends who dumped who :P If Hermione ended it with Tonks then maybe she always wanted to run back. Lol sorry guess you was wrong about Gabriel ;)…

**Rose Russo:** Sorry :( hope I didn't make you feel worse for Tonks with this. Looks like you was right after all ;D tricked you lol.

**LauraFlowi:** Poor Tonks lol Bella didn't stop her cruelty in this chapter ;) Yep, all that can come of all these feelings is trouble. Hermione will make it her mission to find out why the boys didn't come :o

**MunkyTerror:** Aww Tonks is lovely ;) lol, yeah it does make sense, you was right too about him :D Bit mean of the boys I know lol.

**Chelle:** Thank you :)

**SwordDraconis113:** Thank you :D I'm glad you like it and I hope you continue to do so.

**Greyella:** How can you hate Tonks? xD She's lovely :p but when pit against Bellatrix ;) can see why Bellatrix will always be favoured lol

**Tribute Junky:** I'm glad you found you enjoyed it :) hope you continue to enjoy it.

And thank you to everyone else who's reviewed, followed and added to their favourites ^^


	13. Chapter 13: Going Separate Ways

**A/N:** A big thanks to everyone who is still supporting this story :) I know a lot of you may hate me for splitting our two girls up, but try not to lynch me after you see this chapter ;) Thanks to those that got back to me about Blackcest, the majority seem to not want it in this story which is fine :) Hope you enjoy Chapter 13 :D

I do not have a Beta so all mistakes are my own and I apologise in advance for those I've missed.

**Disclaimer**: The world of Harry Potter and the original storyline are not mine; they belong to J.K. Rowling.

Read, review and most of all… Enjoy!

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><p><strong>Chapter 13: Going Separate Ways<strong>

**Hermione**

"For Merlin's sake Bellatrix…" Hermione muttered under her breath upon finding yet another mark she had to conceal. After hearing about Hermione having her freedom granted, Head Warden Brown had given her the use of his private bathroom to clean herself up in and to get changed out of her prisoner attire and into something more suitable for a free woman.

Hermione seized the opportunity and had a nice long soak in a hot bubble bath, where she scrubbed herself vigorously to rid herself of all the grime and dirt that had built up since her last shower. She hadn't been satisfied she was clean and fresh till her skin started to wrinkle and resemble that of a prune, after climbing out she then attended to the matted mess that was her hair, by washing it twice. Hermione had spent almost as long brushing her hair as she had spent in the bath, it hadn't seen a brush for months and by the time she had worked her way through the last of the knots, tears of pain were trickling down her face. '_Think I'm due for a haircut… That was torture!'_ She had thought while gently caressed her sore scalp with the tips of fingers.

Almost two hours had passed by the time Hermione had finished attending to the rest of her body and still she wasn't finished thanks to Bellatrix. Hermione wasn't certain where she would be going from here, but she had a rough idea. Kingsley was most likely going to take her straight to her friends, since her family was currently out the question, something that saddened her and brought her down a bit from her high for being released. And knowing her friends, there was only one place they would be, the Burrow.

Part of her was looking forward to seeing them again, they were still her best friends after all, while another part of her was… Looking forward to grilling them over their absence and lack of contact. '_I wonder what they will say…' _Hermione pondered as she continued to conceal bite marks left on her neck and shoulders by Bellatrix, while her hair and clothes had covered them up from a casual observer, she had a feeling she'd be getting fussed over by her friends and the Weasleys. So the last thing she needed was questionable markings on her skin that would distract her from being able to go all out on her supposed friends.

Once she finished hiding the visual signs of Bellatrix's _affections_, her fingers briefly stroked the prisoner ID on her neck and took the time to inspect it. It was the first time since Hermione was branded that she had looked at it for herself. When she had first received it, she couldn't bear to look at herself in the mirror and instead concealed it behind her hair, but now… She was going back out into the world; she wanted to see what others would see as they silently judged her. Her ID was made up of what Hermione presumed to be two ancient runes followed by the number 36, she tried to work out what it stood for but for the life of her she couldn't even remember seeing those two symbols in classes at Hogwarts before. '_If I don't know what it means… Maybe others won't at a glance either…'_ She mused with false hope, in reality it didn't matter if people didn't know what it stood for precisely; they'd still see a convicted criminal either way.

Hermione stared blankly at it for a little while before shaking her head, not wanting to allow her mind strayed further into depressing territory. Pulling herself away from the sight, Hermione walked over to the pile of clean clothes and the familiar wand that lay on top of them. Hermione hesitated for a moment before picking up the curved 12 ¾ walnut wand, she had been surprised when Kingsley had returned it to her saying it was hers to do as she pleased. '_Like snap it.'_ She thought as she turned in over in her hand, it wasn't the first time that thought had run through her head. Bellatrix's wand had done terrible things at the hand of its owner and the only reason she had kept it was because she had no other choice, even after the battle she kept it close by just in case of trouble.

And even now she was still at risk. '_The last thing I should do with a price on my head is walk around without a wand.'_ Hermione thought with a frown. '_I should keep a hold of it at least until I can buy a new one.'_ She wished she could have her old wand back, but that had been confiscated when the trio had been captured and taken to Malfoy Manor. The reminder sent a chill down her spine as she looked down at her _mudblood _scar, the memory still horrified her, haunted her, despite the fact she no longer truly feared Bellatrix anymore.

Sighing to herself, Hermione put the wand down and started to get dressed. The clothing she had been given was not only the same clothes she arrived in but also the same thing she had worn during the battle of Hogwarts. Putting it on, she could see and feel just how much Azkaban had changed her. Her dark navy jeans were slack around her waist and baggy in the legs, her maroon zip up hoody and her denim jacket which had been a perfect fit previously, now felt two sizes too big and hung loosely over her frame. The only part of her which had remained roughly the same size was her chest, but it alone wasn't enough to give her body form as she stared at the shapeless figure looking back at her in the mirror.

'_It was to be expected I guess… But I guess Azkaban isn't purely to blame, we barely ate while on the run… Still, won't take too much to fix that, especially if I am going to the Burrow, I'm sure I'll be fattened up by Molly's cooking in no time.'_ Hermione smiled to herself as she slipped on her trainers, perking up again slightly at the fact she was leaving before then leaving Mr Brown's ensuite bathroom and crossing his room, only to stop at the door upon hearing voices caught up in a deep conversation.

"I still don't get it." Brown said from somewhere on the other side of the door. "Why did Lestrange help Miss Granger?"

"You're guess is as good as mine, it is puzzling considering the reward she was offered." A voice replied which Hermione recognized as Kingsleys. '_Reward? What did they offer Bellatrix in return? She never did tell me…'_

"Do you think they would have made good on their side of the deal?"

"Hmm… It's possible; no doubt there are others who might accept payment from the Goblins in exchange for them arguing for her release." '_Her release? They offered her freedom?'_ Hermione thought with astonishment at what Kingsley had said."Although personally I don't see how they would have managed it. Perhaps it was just a bluff and maybe Mrs Lestrange saw it as that."

"Even if she did… That still don't explain why Lestrange chose not to carry out the deed. Bluff or no bluff, she has no love for muggleborns, we all know that. I can't imagine her passing up the chance to harm or kill one last one, even more so if that muggleborn helped bring down her former master."

Taking a deep breath, Hermione opened the door, the two men remained completely oblivious to her presence as they debated. "I think she's trying to change." Hermione said as she stepped on through into the Head Warden's office. Both men turned to look at her, as did Tonks who was sitting by the fire. "Sorry, I… I didn't mean to eavesdrop."

"No need to apologise Miss Granger, it concerns you just as much as it does Mrs Lestrange." Kingsley said with a slight smile before taking in her appearance. "It's good to see you back to your old self."

'_No… I'll never be my old self ever again…'_ She thought bitterly and was half tempted to speak her mind but instead shook her head and walked over to the desk. "I don't feel it."

Mr Brown was studying her appearance as he looked up at her from behind his desk; the older man must have noticed how baggy her old clothes were on her as he gave her a small apologetic smile. "A few decent sized meals a day will help with that."

'_That's not really what I meant…'_ Hermione sighed inwardly; forcing a smile, she nodded as she came to a stop by the desk. "I'm sure it will, at least I won't need to feel guilty about what I eat for a while now."

To her surprise, Mr Brown chuckled softly. "And here I thought Lavender said you two have nothing in common…" He said with a cheerful smile, which then quickly faltered when he realized what he had just said. "Err anyway… What did you say? She's trying to change?"

Hermione nodded in response and took the seat next to the Minister as he pour out, what looked like herbal green tea, into a china cup and offered it to her. She took the drink and thanked Kingsley before sampling the hot discoloured liquid, the taste of lemon and lime delighted her taste buds as she sipped the brew. The soothing taste brought a warm smile to her lips and she took another sip before going on to elaborate. "Well… She's saved my life twice now, the life of a muggleborn." Hermione began as she looked between both Brown and Kingsley. "Bellatrix also helped you all too and possibly saved your lives as well."

"Like hell she did, we had things under control. We didn't need her help." Tonks's angry tone of voice came from across the room, Hermione didn't need to look back to guess what look the young Auror would have had on her face.

"Now now Tonks, I know you of all people have every reason to hate the fact that Mrs Lestrange assisted us. But nonetheless she did." Kingsley said calmly as he looked back at her, Hermione couldn't help but smile slightly at the calm and composed nature that the Minister displayed. '_He's just what the wizarding community needs to get back on its feet.' _She thought positively as he looked back at her and gestured politely with his hand. "Go on Miss Granger."

Taking a few moments, Hermione pondered carefully about what to say before carrying on. "She could have kept that wand and tried to escape herself, instead she handed it over without a fuss. She admitted to wanting to do the right thing, I know from her that sounds sceptical but her actions backed up her word." To her relief Kingsley was nodding in apparent agreement as she spoke. "She is trying to change, and I think…" Hermione paused slightly, knowing that what she was about to say could potentially cause a stir. "She should be given the chance to prove that."

"Oh? What kind of chance?" The Minister asked with a curious tone of voice.

Hermione bit down softly on her bottom lip as she considered that. There was one suggestion running through her head, an absurd suggestion and yet for some reason she couldn't stop herself saying it. "Tonks mentioned a while ago… You will be running a rehabilitation program at some point in the future?" Kingsley nodded slowly, it was clear from the look in his eyes that he knew where she was going with this, but allowed her to carry on without interruption. "Well… Perhaps she should be given a chance on that-"

As expected, Tonks's raised voice cut her suggestion short. "Absolutely not!"

"Miss Granger, the rehabilitation program is designed for the purpose of reforming and releasing prisoners back into the community. Surely you're not suggesting Mrs Lestrange should be released?" Mr Brown asked with a strange look on his face as he leant forward in his chair.

"I… No… Not exactly." Upon hearing Brown ask her that out loud, Hermione lost her momentum. '_Am I?'_ She wasn't sure what she was suggesting, or why she was even trying to suggest something at all. But Hermione felt she owned the dark witch something for saving her life twice now and what else could she suggest? What else could a prisoner of Azkaban have possible use for? The answer was nothing, and Hermione knew that first hand now. The only thing she could do to repay Bellatrix was somehow give her hope of freedom, the chance to prove she was willing to change and rehabilitation seemed like the logical solution. "I just think that she should be given a chance to show she's willing to change… And if it goes well… Then yeah… I guess I am suggesting that."

Brown looked completely stunned and was looking at her with eyes that spoke what his lips would not '_Have you lost your mind?' _Hermione looked away and chanced a look in Tonks's direction; she took one look at her face and wished she hadn't. The Auror looked livid; her hair had gone a furious crimson red. '_She's already ready to lose it with me… What's one more reason matter?'_

But at the end of the day, it wasn't their reactions that mattered, it was the Ministers. Hermione took another sip of her herbal tea as she watched him carefully from the corner of her eye before he then shook his head. "I'm sorry Miss Granger but I'm afraid that isn't possible. Prisoners such as Mrs Lestrange are far too dangerous to be considered."

Hermione had expected a reply like that, but what she didn't expect was how her heart sunk at the answer. She groaned at that seemingly sad feeling, it wasn't something she wanted to feel when she was trying so hard to deny to herself that she felt… Something for the dark witch and instead all it did was add fuel to the fire. Not wanting to allow herself to get distracted, Hermione pushed all feelings side, real or not, and tried to concentrate on the matter at hand. Since she had brought the suggestion up, she might as well give it her best shot.

"Not ever? How can people change if they aren't given the chance?" Hermione asked, her voice slightly sharper then she had intended.

"Why do you feel so strongly about this?" Tonks cut in before Kingsley could reply, sounding very suspicious. It wasn't the first time she and Tonks had debated over this, but that was before certain… Developments had gone on between her and Bellatrix, and before Tonks had learnt about some of them. No doubt Tonks was now wondering if there was something more to what she was suggesting other than her being a strong believer in second chances.

Taking a deep breath, Hermione thought about how best to answer, knowing that this would likely be her only chance to try and repay Bellatrix without drawing suspicion to herself, from others aside Tonks. Nothing she could say would convince Tonks, but luckily it was only Kingsley she needed to convince and unlike Tonks, he was far more open minded and more trusting, he had always fully believed in Dumbledore and his judgement when most of the order did not. '_Wait… That's it… Dumbledore!'_

Hiding a smile, Hermione composed herself and met the gazes of the two Order members. "Dumbledore always said everyone deserves a second chance. Look at Snape… Dumbledore gave him a chance to change and he did, even when all others doubted him and continued to do so right until the moment he died, yet without him we may never have stopped Voldemort." She said confidently as she ignored the shudder from Brown at Voldemort's name and looked at the Minister, knowing that Kingsley was fully aware of the truth about Severus Snape.

"You're right, Dumbledore always did believe in second chances, as I know you have and it's something that has worked out to our advantage." The Minister nodded in agreement before his face turned serious and Hermione could just tell he was about to shot her suggestion down. "But Lestrange isn't Snape, everything she did; she did to further Voldemorts cause, all of her own free will. A couple of good deeds don't rectify a lifetime of wrong." Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Tonks nod in agreement with Kingsley and even smirk, something that suddenly made Hermione feel very angry. '_She's so childish and closed minded at times! If only she knew how much like her aunt she was, she wouldn't be smirking then.'_ Hermione gritted her teeth and tried to remain calm as she listened to Kingsley, as much as she didn't want to admit it, he wasn't wrong.

Hermione tried to hide her disappointment by finishing the content of her cup. "However…" That single word ignited a spark of hope deep inside her, looking up slowly from her cup; she met the older wizard's gaze. "Mrs Lestranges actions won't be dismissed and perhaps… We could arrange for her to see a therapist. And in a few years down the line, if she continues to show signs of improvement and a desire to change then perhaps then… She'll be enrolled on the rehabilitation program."

This time it was Tonks who looked stunned, who had also now lost her smirk. Hermione hid her own smirk and nodded her _acceptance, _not knowing really what to say to that. But regardless, she felt pleased with herself for doing what she believed to be the right thing. If the woman genuinely wanted to change, then she'd seize the chance and if she didn't, she'd stay and rot. Either way she had done her part and repaid the dark witch for her actions. "Now I'm sure you're eager to leave this place, so let us be on our way." The Minister said, snapping her attention back to him as he got to his feet.

Hermione blinked in confusion for a few seconds before she realised what he meant, she had been so caught up in trying to find a way to repay Bellatrix that she had forgotten she was free now. "Where are we going?" Hermione asked as she put down her cup before climbing to her feet.

"Well, for now until this situation completely blows over, you can't return home. It isn't safe for you to be on your own." She wasn't sure if Kingsley knew about her parents or if he meant that she shouldn't be the only witch or wizard in the area but either way… Sadness filled her heart at the reminder as she thought back to her empty childhood home. "So we're going to the Burrow. I'm sure they will be more than happy to see you." Kingsley said with a warm smile. '_They might… But I'm not sure I will be…' _

"As it is barely dawn, we'll apparate. Don't want to startle everyone by flooing this time of morning and risking Molly's wrath." He went on to say with a chuckle as Hermione followed him to the door with Brown close behind them, passing Tonks who reluctantly got to her feet and looked ready to burst with one emotion or another. "Thank you for your help tonight Mr Brown, I'm sure I'll be in touch soon regarding recent events and Mrs Lestrange." Kingsley said at the door as he turned to shake the Head Warden's hand.

"I'm happy to be of assistance Minister." Brown inclined his head formally before letting go of the Minister's hand and looked at Hermione. "I am sorry you had to come to this place Miss Granger. But hopefully I won't see you back here again. Take care of yourself."

Lavender's father smiled down at her, a smile which Hermione was more than happy to return. "Thank you." Hermione said cheerfully as Tonks walked over and Kingsley opened the door ready to take her back to where she belonged. '_I hope I never see this place again… Can't say I'll miss it but I guess it could have been much worse, if it wasn't for Bellatrix's company, however twisted it may have been. I would have lost my mind entirely in the solitude… Something else I should probably thank Bellatrix for…'_

Thinking about Bellatrix brought her to a standstill, it didn't feel … Right, to just up and leave without a word. In Hermione's eyes, it would have been just plain rude not to tell her what was going on, especially as it had been Bellatrix's plan that had resulted in her freedom, even if that outcome hadn't been planned. "Wait… Can I… Erm… See Bellatrix before I go?" Hermione stuttered out and suddenly felt very small when she saw the looks she was getting, each one looked completely taken aback and not for the first time looked at her as if they feared for her sanity. "I want to thank her." She said quickly before they could comment and hoped that they would believe she was being her usual polite self. The two older men exchanged bizarre looks before shrugging their shoulders and nodding.

* * *

><p><strong>Bellatrix<strong>

Bellatrix failed to suppress a low yawn escaping from her lips as she lay on her bed. Since being returned to her cell, Bellatrix had refused to allow herself to go to sleep, no matter how much her body cried out for it and instead eagerly awaited the return of the girl.

She had watched the night slowly fade away through the grate in the girl's cell and the approach of dawn, hours had passed since being returned to her cell and still the girl had yet to return. '_What in Merlin's name is taking them so long?!' _She thought impatiently as she rolled onto her back and stared up at the celling, pondering away as to what was keeping the girl so long. '_Hmm… Could my idiot niece be to blame? Could she be holding the girl back and laying into her over what she saw?'_ Somehow Bellatrix didn't think so; her niece seemed more the type to wallow in self-pity and suffer in silence rather than confront an issue head on. But what did Bellatrix know, the only times she had interacted with her niece was on the battlefield or here in Azkaban.

'_Hmm so if it's not my damn niece… What's the hold up?' _If she was honest, she wasn't too sure what was meant to happen now anyway. She had expected them to have a chat with the girl then return her to her cell after, but obviously that didn't seem to be the case.

A throb of pain caused Bellatrix to scowl and bring her hand to her forehead to gently massage the offending area. Upon touching her head, she remembered how the girl had gently tended to her despite those present, a soft smile graced her lips as she recalled the girl's warm soft touch, tracing where the girl's fingers had been with her own. It felt… Strange, to be handled with such care, it had been such a long time since she had experienced such care that she had entirely forgotten how oddly pleasing it could be.

The only people to have ever treated her in such a way were her sisters when they were young, but that was only sisterly affection, not a lovers, so that didn't count. As much Bellatrix didn't want to remember, the whore had treated her gently too. The mudblood had known all about how her father had treated her at home and had made sure that their encounters were soft and _loving_… Or at least at the start they were. At a young age Bellatrix had discovered she quite enjoyed the rough side if she got pleasure out of it, even more so if she was the one being rough, she loved the power and control, she loved the reactions she could get. But even then she still enjoyed making love from time to time rather than simply fucking… However all those memories of their encounters, both loving and rough had been forever tainted by the whore's deceit. Those once loving touches, turned out to be the cruellest of them all.

And then there was Rodolphus, her _beloved _husband. '_What a joke that was…'_ She thought bitterly, there had been no love there, no passion, no anything. At least not from her, Rod tried at the start to make it work and why wouldn't he? '_He managed to marry one of the most beautiful and intelligent pureblood daughters of our generation._' Bellatrix scoffed to herself, however she couldn't deny that in his own way Rod was quite handsome, if she had been that way inclined, she might have enjoyed his company. But she wasn't and even if she had been, her heart belonged to another, even on her wedding night… After Rod had climbed on her and did what he did, what little he could do. Bellatrix had snuck out to meet the whore. Even after she had killed her, she still didn't try letting her husband in, she barely let him touch her and only on the odd occasion did she allow him to do what he needed to do to produce an heir until that fateful day.

Something wet rolled down the side of her cheek and it took Bellatrix a few moments to realize she was crying. Cringing at the weakness she roughly rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand and mentally chastised herself for letting her defences down and allowing her mind to contemplate past events. In her distracted state, she had missed the sound of approaching footsteps until they were feet away from her cell. Looking up, Bellatrix waited expectantly for the girl to come into sight and she did… But not how Bellatrix pictured she would.

The brunette was accompanied by the Minister himself and was wearing clothes, actual clothing instead of her prisoner garbs. Bellatrix stared hard at the girl; she didn't need to be told what was going on here. The sight in front of her was crystal clear. '_The girl's been freed…'_ "Can we have a moment alone please Minister?" The girl asked the wizard, the Minister nodded slightly and walked away, the girl's eyes followed him and Bellatrix listened to his retreating footsteps until they faded away into the distance.

Once gone, Hermione turned to look back at Bellatrix and gave her a small warm smile. "So… You've been freed then?" Bellatrix asked the obvious and didn't return the smile; instead her lips were perused tight as she stared coldly at the girl.

"I… Yes." The girl blinked at the cold tone Bellatrix used before stuttering out her answer meekly and for the second time in almost three decades, Bellatrix's heart unwillingly broke. Bellatrix bit down hard on her lip to stop her mouth reacting badly to the news against her will, once again she had started to let someone in, a mudblood no less, and once again she had been used by filth so they could get what they wanted. And now she was being abandoned again, being betrayed. '_I knew it! I was a fool to allow my defences start slipping! They're all the same! Parasites!'_

The fires of hate and rage erupted deep within her, Bellatrix allowed the rekindled hatred for the girls kind to fill every inch of her body and drew strength from it. "Well isn't that just great for you." She spat out venomously, the hatred in her tone was so potent that the girl took a step back from her cell. "Funny how things work out… I saved your life twice, helped them out too and what do I get? I get chucked back in my cell after a small amount of forced gratitude!"

Again the girl flinched at the tone she was using; she had an utterly confused look on her face, as if she didn't why Bellatrix was reacting in such a way. "I know it doesn't seem fair." Hermione said softly and took a few steps forward this time, closer to Bellatrix's cell. "But that's why I'm here; I'm trying to help-"

"Help?" Bellatrix repeated sharply, cutting the girl off mid-sentence as she jumped to her feet and swiftly moved to the bars and grabbed hold of them hard. "I don't need a filthy _mudbloods_ help!" Bellatrix shirked near enough in the girls face with as much hate and disgust as she could muster.

"Please… Let me finish." The girl went on to say in a soft low tone of voice. Bellatrix would have interrupted her again if she wasn't trying to control her breathing in an attempt to stop her body betraying how her heart felt at the moment. "Like you said… You saved my life twice; I wanted to thank you-"

As soon as Bellatrix managed to get a grip of her emotions she interrupted the girl once more. "Well thank me already and be gone with you filth!"

The girl shook her head, looking both angry and upset. "I don't know why I bothered… I thought you might appreciate the chance to change, a chance at freedom and starting again but I guess not!" The girl shouted back before turning sharply on her heel and storming of.

A stunned Bellatrix blinked in shock and confusion at what the girl said as she watched her march off. "Freedom?" She repeated too quietly for the retreating girl to hear "Mudblood wait!" Bellatrix shouted after her, but the girl didn't stop nor did she look back. '_Freedom? Surely not… Just another mudblood trick!'_ Bellatrix thought about that quickly. '_No… What would be the point? She'd have nothing to gain trying to trick me and she didn't look like she was lying…' _The girl had been in a good mood when she returned; Bellatrix assumed her good mood was from being freed. Maybe it was, partly, but what if she was happy because she had good news for her? '_She didn't have to return, I'm sure she could have just left without saying a word, why would she come all the way back here instead just to try and trick me? She doesn't really seem the type… She's a Gryffindor and a member of the damned golden trio, surely she's too noble and honest for that? But then again… The whore was Gryffindor too… Shit.'_

Bellatrix was torn, she couldn't decide either way if the girl was being honest or not, but what she did know was that the girl was leaving and with her, the chance to find out. Gritting her teeth and swallowing her pride, she proceeded to gain the girls attention one last time. "Hermione… Wait…" Bellatrix called out loudly yet softly, using the girls' name, knowing that she probably wouldn't respond to what she was.

It worked. The girl stopped in her tracks and spun her heels. "What?!" Hermione snapped harshly.

Bellatrix hesitated for a moment as she considered quickly once more if the girl was about to make a fool of her again. "What do you mean?"

"Oh so now you want to listen?" The young girl snapped again as she folded her arms, yet this time with less of a hostile edge to her tone. Bellatrix was forced to bite her tongue to stop her making a remark, not at the girl's insolence, but at how… Sexy, the girl looked with her arms folded, her body leaning to one side with her head cocked and a stern look on her beautiful face. The outfit the girl was wearing didn't do her body justice, but she didn't blame her for that, when she had first escaped Azkaban last time it had taken awhile for her to regain her figure, something she was starting to lose again she found.

"The Ministry is running a rehabilitation program. As thanks for helping me twice, and because I think you want to change…" The girl paused to frown at her as she slowly walked back towards her, no doubt her outburst was making the girl think twice about that, not that Bellatrix knew where she had gototen that idea in the first place, but she kept that to herself. "I suggested for you to go on it, but the Minister wouldn't allow it… But he is willing to give you a chance because of your actions and instead you'll be seeing a therapist."

Bellatrix scoffed and pulled a disgusted face. "A therapist? If you think I'm letting one of those patronizing morons root about inside my head then you got another thing coming!"

"If you go along with it, and your therapist verifies you want to change and show some improvement, then you'll be enrolled on the rehabilitation program."

"And how long will that take?"

The girl dropped her hostile demeanour and shuffled her feet as she looked around. "Erm… Well… That depends but… You're looking at a few years minimum."

"A few years?!" Bellatrix pouted and let go of the bars of her cell so she could pace. She didn't get the girl at all, didn't understand why Hermione was helping her, or trying to anyway. Bellatrix looked up at her chocolaty brown eyes as she walked by her, hoping to gain some hidden insight from them, they were soft, gentle, warm… Perhaps the girl wasn't abandoning her, perhaps she wasn't betraying her. '_It's not like she could have refused freedom that would have been insane… Hmm must be why I passed it up then…' _Bellatrix frowned and stopped in front of the girl, her dark eyes scanned every inch of the younger woman's face. "Why are you doing this? Why are you helping me? I tortured you, I abused you and I've killed people close to you. So why would you help get someone like me out?" Bellatrix asked suspiciously, having given up trying to suss the answers out for herself.

The girl stared at her for a few moments as she seemed to ask herself the same questions before shaking her head. "I told you. You helped me, that and I believe everyone deserves a second chance if they show the will to change."

Bellatrix couldn't stop herself letting out a short sharp laugh. "And I have?"

Again the girl withheld her answer, she seemed to debate with herself for some time as she stared at Bellatrix before answering. "I'm a muggleborn, something that you remind me of often enough. You hate people like me yet you saved my life, twice now… To me that speaks louder than words." Hermione smiled at her briefly before her face turned serious, her brow rose up and the brunette gave her an inquisitive look. "Unless there's some hidden reason that I don't know about?"

"Like what?" Bellatrix narrowed her dark eyes at the girl, unsure what the girl might be implying.

Hermione sighed and looked down at her hands and began to fidget. "I don't know… Why did you save me? I know the reason you gave me… But is that all?" The girl didn't look at her as she asked; there was something odd about the tone of voice she used, it almost sounded hopeful. '_What could she be possibly be hoping that I would say?'_

Of course, Bellatrix had an answer to her question, but if it was the right answer she didn't know. And even if she did, she wouldn't share it, the girl was leaving. It no longer mattered anymore. "Why do you ask?" Bellatrix asked in response with a husky tone to mask the sorrow that was eating away inside her.

"Will you stop answering my questions with a question!" Hermione snapped in annoyance, something that Bellatrix laughed playfully at and smirked at the girl as she took a few steps back. "You know why I ask! You were offered freedom as payment for taking my life and you turned it away… Why? And don't give me that rubbish about returning the favour, we both know that's a lie… What was the real reason you couldn't kill me last night?"

Bellatrix felt her chest tighten at the one question she didn't want the girl to ask, she had hoped the girl had forgotten about her vocal blunder, that the attempt on her life, that the plan and now her freedom would have pushed what she said out of the girl's mind. But apparently not, in a small way it pleased Bellatrix to hear that the girl hadn't forgotten, that she wanted to know how Bellatrix felt, even if she didn't know what she was asking. "I…" Bellatrix tried to find a way to express herself but couldn't get the words out and instead shut her mouth tight. She couldn't bring herself to tell her, how could she when she could barely acknowledge it to herself.

Shaking her head, Bellatrix let out a long yawn and stretched her arms high above her head before turning on the spot and heading over to her bed. "I'm tired. Now if you don't mind… I need to get some sleep." Bellatrix said, not once looking at the girl as she climbed into bed and turned her back on Hermione. She could feel the girl's eyes burning into her back and heard as the young witch sighed before the sound of her turning on her heels followed. Biting her lip, Bellatrix looked over her shoulder. "Will you visit?" Bellatrix asked, unusually soft and despite herself, wasn't able to completely conceal the sadness in her tone. Their gazes met and for a while the girl said nothing as warm brown orbs stared back at her, the girl eventually blinked and broke eye contact before she nodded and left.

Bellatrix, feeling oddly pleased, turned back to face the way and close her eyes with a smile on her lips.

* * *

><p><strong>Hermione<strong>

Hermione wobbled slightly on her feet as she recovered from the gut wrenching effects caused by apparition, Kingsley steadied her and held onto her for a moment longer before releasing her arm. The smell of morning dew and fresh grass engulfed her as she took a deep breath, the smells and sounds of summer surrounded her and as she opened her eyes, Hermione was greeted by a very welcomed sight.

The three of them had apparated to a hill that overlooked the Burrow, before her eyes lay meadows of deep green grass decorated with various colours of summer wildflowers, with a few lingering patches of spring wildflowers still dotting the landscape. A dirt path ran a course through the grass and led directly to the home of the Weasley family. The Burrow itself sat in the centre of the early summer landscape enclosed by hedges and trees; from up on the hill Hermione could make out the faint shapes of ducks and geese sailing across the family's large pond. The beautiful sight of nature in full bloom was enough to cause her to smile warmly; it showed her that despite everything that had happened, life could go on.

As Kingsley took point and started to lead them down the hill, Hermione chanced a look at the young Auror walking besides her. From the looks of it, it seemed Tonks was still upset at what she had learnt from the mind of her aunt, it hurt Hermione to see her friend looking so glum and she wished they could talk. '_I won't get another chance for a while after we reach the Burrow…' _She thought then stopped in her tracks. "Kingsley? Do you mind if I have a quick chat with Tonks before we go down? In private." Hermione asked softly as she looked up to the man, hoping he wouldn't be offended or annoyed by her request.

"Not at all." He replied cheerfully, not looking bothered in the slightest at her request. "I'll go on ahead and make sure Arthur and Molly are up." He nodded to Tonks before turning on his heel and carrying on down the hill.

Tonks didn't turn to look back at her as the Minister left, her gaze remained fixed on the ground in front of her. Sighing to herself, Hermione made the first move and walked around the Auror so she could look up at her. "Tonks… Can we please talk before we go on…"

"I've got nothing to say to you…" Tonks said harshly with cold eyes as she pushed passed her.

Despite feeling hurt at how Tonks was acting, Hermione made a grab for the Auror and stopped her walking off. "Tonks…" Hermione muttered as she looked at the woman who kept her back to her. "Nymph…" She called out to her again, this time using her little pet name for the Auror, hoping that it would get her attention and it did somewhat as Tonks turned her head to stare hard at her. "Please don't be like this."

"Be like what?! Upset? Angry? Don't you think I have right to be?!" The now dark haired Auror snapped as she snatched her arm away. "Have you forgotten what she is? Who she is? Have you forgotten that she killed Sirius? Dobby? That she drove the Longbottoms to insanity? Or how she tortured you? And that's only the things people know about; Merlin knows what else she's done." With each remark Tonks took a step closer to Hermione until she could feel the Auror's heated breath on her face.

Hermione couldn't help but flinch at the Auror's aggression; she bit her lip but managed to hold her ground. She didn't blame Tonks for the way she reacting as an Auror, as Bellatrix's disowned niece, and as her friend but part of Hermione wondered if Tonks was acting out of jealousy as well. "I haven't forgotten-"

Before Hermione could try and at least explain her actions, Tonks cut her off. "And now you want her released?! Have you lost your damn mind! Why? Why Hermione? Unless…" The Auror paused as she seemed to consider something and from the look on her face, Hermione had a good idea at what she was going to ask. "Do you… Do you have feelings for her? Is that it?"

'_I hate being right sometimes…'_ She thought as she suppressed a groan and rapidly shook her head. "What? No!" '_Liar!'_ The voice of her conscious whispered in the back of her mind as she quickly denied it.

"Don't lie to me Hermione! Do you have feelings for my insane murderous aunt?"

"Tonks, now you're just letting your feelings get carried away." Hermione replied as she shook her head again and took a step back.

"This has nothing to do with my feelings!" Tonks spat out.

"Doesn't it?" She asked softly, knowing that she was treading on thin ice now. "I know… I know you still love me… And I know you're hurting over Remus's death…"

Tonks's face grew dark as her dark eyes narrowed on Hermione, get hands were clenching at her sides as she started to shake with rage. "Don't go there Granger."

But Hermione took no notice, if Tonks wasn't going to hear her out and instead just yell and rant… Then Hermione was going to say what was on her mind. "This isn't about Bellatrix is it? This is about you and me… And it's not fair Nymph… What you're doing… It's not fair… You lost Remus, and I'm sorry. I truly am… But it seems like you're using me to try get over it-"

Hermione never got to finish what she had planned on saying as she received a firm slap across her face from the Auror. '_I guess I deserved that…'_ "How dare you… This has nothing to do with my feelings for you or Remus's death and everything to do with you whoring yourself out to a Death Eater!"

The sound of a second slap filled the morning air, but this time it was Hermione who hit Tonks after seeing red at Tonks implying she was a whore. Despite how Tonks was acting, Hermione couldn't help but regret her action immediately when she saw the hurt expression in Tonks eyes. "Nymph…" She whispered as she reached out, only for Tonks to step back out of her reach.

"Hermione!" From somewhere far behind Tonks, she heard her name shouted out. Hermione looked round Tonks to see the familiar shapes of Harry and Ron running towards her, she smiled faintly as she watched them approach and waved at them as Tonks walked past her. Just as she was about to turn back around and face the Auror, she heard a loud pop, telling her that the Auror had just left and that their conversation and likely their friendship was now over.

'_Nymph…'_ She thought sadly as a single tear rolled down her cheek, losing one of her closest friends was not how she planned to start her first day as a free woman. She sighed deeply; feeling thoroughly depressed as she turned to look back at the approaching boys. '_I wonder if I'll lose them too after I'm finished with them…' _Shaking her head slowly, she started her descent down the hill alone.

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><p><strong>AN: **Hope you enjoyed Chapter 13 ^_^ Thank you for reading and I'll update soon x

**Natalie Blackman: **Always great to see a fellow Bellamione writer :) especially one whose work I enjoy so much! I'm honoured that this has given you the motivation to write again and I look forward to seeing your work updated ^^

**BloodRoseQueen**: Don't have sleeves on at the moment ;) But I may well do :p you'll have to wait and see.

**Rebecca M Mesecher**: Eeek don't hurt me! :(

**unserendipitous**: For now we have only seen Tonks's front she's been putting on for Hermione's sake, but we'll soon she how she's coping or not coping. It will be awhile before Bellatrix see's Hermione as an equal, if she ever does, but if she does then perhaps ;)

**Rippl**: I'm glad you're enjoying the story so much! Stay tuned and you might find out ;)

**Kiara:** Great to see a newly converted Bellamione shipper :D I hope you continue to keep enjoying the story and the pairing ;)

And thank you to everyone else who has reviewed :) they really help with keeping the creative juices flowing ^^.


	14. Chapter 14: Homecoming

**A/N:** Firstly I apologise for my lengthy absence :( between work, personal matters and discouraging PMs about my stories, I went off writing for a while. But after all that time, people have still been reading and reviewing, asking for more. So I thank each and every one of you who have still been following this story and it's for you that I update today! :)

I do not have a Beta so all mistakes are my own and I apologise in advance for those I've missed.

**Disclaimer**: The world of Harry Potter and the original storyline are not mine; they belong to J.K. Rowling.

Read, review and most of all… Enjoy!

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><p><strong>Chapter 14: Homecoming<strong>

**Hermione**

"Hermione!" The two boys cried out in unison as they all but sent her flying as they wrapped their arms around her tightly before she could stop them. The crushing group hug temporarily banished Hermione's ill-feelings towards both Harry and Ron as a wave of affection and relief washed over her. Despite the dull painful sensation coursing through her as the boys' tight grip overwhelmed her fragile body. Hermione allowed herself to silently rejoice and enjoy the reunion while it lasted, before she confronted them. '_May as well make the most of this hug, it may be my last for quite some time…' _she thought as she forced a smile, barely listening to what the boys were muttering in her ear.

"I can't believe that they finally let you out! We had no idea you were free, let alone coming here!" Ron blurted out brashly as he pulled away slightly; his arms still clung to Hermione tightly. "It's about bloody time!"

Harry was nodding in agreement, giving her one last tight squeeze before moving away and giving Hermione room to breathe. "It's so good to see you Hermione, feels like it's been forever since we were last together."

'_And whose fault is that! You both could have come and seen me! Instead you left me to rot!'_ She thought bitterly, the witty sharp remark was on the tip of her tongue, ready to be spat out at her so called friends. But the tears running down their faces, and their looks of genuine glee, brought a lump to Hermione's throat. It was only when she tasted salty tang of her own tears did Hermione realise she was crying too. Whatever she had felt about them previously, what she had been so ready to get off her chest, all of that took a back seat. Despite how they had seemingly abandoned her to her fate, she couldn't help the fact that she had missed them terribly.

"I… I missed you both… So much…" Hermione choked out truthfully. In the distance she could see through misty eyes, the faint blur of ginger hair as other members of the Weasley family poked their heads out of the house and beckoned to her.

She didn't protest as the boys began to guide her towards the Burrow. Although part of her deep down didn't want to step foot inside the Weasley's home, she couldn't forget how she was abandoned, she wouldn't. And yet another part of Hermione couldn't wait to be in warm familiar surroundings, the part of her who just wanted to forget everything and move on. '_Am I being a selfish hypocrite? Is this how the boys felt when they saw home?' _Hermione thought, her feelings in a state of turmoil, some of the dark bitter thoughts that had filled her mind the past few days were already passing. Had Azkaban's influence been the cause of them? Had her mind not been her own for the duration? Or had the solitude helped her see more clearly? Too many questions were whizzing around her head, too many to ponder the answers to now. But she was free now and had all the time in the world to reflect on them, without any dark influences potentially corrupting the way she looked at things.

Hermione pushed aside everything going on in her head and allowed herself to put on a smile as the trio reached the Burrow. She was released from the grip of one redhead, only to find herself in the grip of another, and then another, as Mr and Mrs Weasley greeted her with open arms.

"So good to have you back with us my dear." Mrs Weasley said with a wide warm smile.

Mr Weasley was nodding and had his usual charming, boyish smile on. "I knew Kingsley… Er the Minister I mean, would come through for you."

"Come now Arthur, no need for such titles among friends." Kingsley said over the shoulders of the redheads. "Let's take this inside shall we? I'm sure Miss Granger could use something warm to eat and drink."

No one complained at Kingsley suggestion, Hermione certainly didn't, if anything, she was looking forward to a real meal. Mrs Weasley guided everyone in, pushing gently on Hermione's back till she was in the kitchen. "Where's Tonks?" Mrs Weasley asked, Hermione looked back to see the redhead matriarch looking out the door before shutting it. "I thought you said she had come with you Kingsley?"

Kingsley didn't look too surprised that Tonks had left, for a moment Hermione thought that maybe Kingsley knew more than she would have liked about what had really happened. '_Surely Tonks didn't tell him… Did she?'_ "Hermione wanted to talk with her in private." The Minister met Hermione's gaze and sure enough at that remark, Hermione felt everyone's eyes fall on her. "Did Tonks say where she going?"

'_No… We were too busy destroying our friendship, to learn what we had planned for the day…' _Hermione sighed and shook her head, trying to ignore the feeling of guilt as she spoke out. "She said something about getting back to work."

For a split second, the Minister narrowed his eyes on Hermione, making her wonder if he saw through her lie before he nodded his head. "I thought she might, she practically lives there unless I order her home nowadays." A solemn atmosphere descended on the room; clearly they were all as aware of Tonks's grief as Hermione was.

Before the gloom could settle and spoil the morning, Mrs Weasley jumped into action with a cheery smile, pushing everyone towards seats at the table. Hermione naturally was sat next to Ron, opposite Harry and an empty seat which had to be Ginny's, although there was more than one empty seat. '_There will always be an empty seat at this table now…' _Hermione thought with renewed grief as she glanced at the seat that used to belong to Fred.

"Ginny! George! Breakfast!" Mrs Weasley bellowed up the stairs before turning to face Hermione. "Now dear, what would you like?"

"Erm…" For a moment Hermione didn't know how to answer, it had been so long since she had a choice about what to eat. When she finally found her voice again she settled on a childhood favourite. "Could I have egg on toast please?"

"Certainly my dear. Ron?" Mrs Weasley replied with a smile before moving onto Ron.

"Tea Hermione?" Mr Weasley asked as Mrs Weasley finished taking orders around the table and started to get to work cooking in the kitchen.

Hermione nodded and exchanged pleasantries with Mr Weasley as he passed her a cup of steaming hot tea. All the commotion and friendly banter that filled the room was a bit much for Hermione, she felt overwhelmed and sat there, dazed. The hectic goings on in the Weasley household was a drastic difference from the breakfast in solitude she had for weeks in Azkaban. Everyone seemed happy, content, as if life was back to how it was. To look at them you wouldn't have guessed that the war had only just ended almost a month ago. _'This doesn't feel right. Them pretending that everything is fine, that everyone is ok…'_ Regardless whether this was all for her benefit or if this charade was how they all had planned to move on… It would take more than a few fake smiles for things to ever go back to how they were. '_No… That will never come to pass, things will never be the same… There is no going back.'_

Stifling a sigh, Hermione drank slowly from her cup as she tried to overcome her mood. The hot liquid may have been warming up her throat, but it did nothing to thaw her icy mood. The banter around the table as Mrs Weasley cooked was pointless and false, they were chatting away about such trivial things. Ron and Harry tried to engage her in meaningless conversations, but she didn't feel like playing along with the pretence and kept her contribution to a minimal, instead just listened and observed. '_Was this how they forgot about me? Sitting around the table talking about playing Quidditch and pretending the outside world didn't exist?'_

Only Kingsley appeared to be on the same page as her, even Harry seemed to be just as caught up in the act as the Weasleys. But then maybe out of everyone, Harry was the only one who deserved a bit of false bliss and normality. '_He had been the chosen one all his life and now his fight is over… He's probably as confused as I for different reasons. He's never experienced… A normal life before.'_ Hermione had to bite her lip to stop herself smiling at the idea that now it was Harrys turn to follow Ron's lead. '_Poor Harry.'_

"So… Her… Mione…" Ron started to say between mouthfuls of toast, to which Hermione gave him a disgusted disapproving look for. "What do you want to do with your first day of freedom?" Ron asked after finishing eating his latest mouthful.

She frowned at him and was about to answer when footsteps came slowly down the stairs. Hermione looked past her redheaded boyfriend to see the youngest Weasley come down in her white nighty. "Morning." Ginny said in a low weary tone of voice, even from where she stood, Hermione could see the bright red puffy eyes of someone who had been crying a lot recently. '_I guess there's at least one Weasley who isn't playing along either.'_

"Come Ginny dear." Mrs Weasley said to her daughter after everyone barring Hermione bided Ginny a good morning. "I made you your favourite."

Ginny smiled ever so faintly and muttered a word of thanks before dragging her feet to her seat besides Harry. Harry being the soft and kind hearted guy he was, wrapped an arm gently around the young redhead and pulled her into his chest for a brief hug. Ginny smiled a little wider as she looked up, for a moment she seemed to look right through Hermione, before blinking several times in surprise and rubbing her sleepy eyes.

"Morning Ginny." Hermione said with a small honest smile.

"Hermione?" The female redhead sat up straight, giving her eyes one more rub, before looking straight back at Hermione. "How? When?"

Before Hermione could answer, Mrs Weasley butted in as she placed Hermione's breakfast in front of her. "This morning, she's only just arrived. Kingsley and Tonks brought her." At the mention of Tonks name, Ginny began looking around for a second unexpected visitor but looked even more confused when she didn't spot the Auror. "She headed off back to work after dropping Hermione off here." Mrs Weasley added as she continued to serve breakfast.

There was a long pause after that as Hermione waited to see if Mrs Weasley or anyone would answer Ginnys second question. When it became clear that the conversation was already over, an unsatisfied Ginny pressed for more answers. "Ok, and how? Dad said the Goblins wouldn't give her up?"

Hermione didn't fail to notice the notice the dark look Mrs Weasley shot her husband before trying to deter the youngest Weasleys curiosity. "Now's not the time for such subjects Ginny." She said shortly and sharply.

"When is it time?" Ginny shot back rather heatedly, refusing to back down. Hermione tried to reach out and calm Ginny, with every intention of trying to say she'd tell her later, but another voice cut sharply across the room.

"Never… Never if mum gets her way!" Everyone including Hermione turned to look up at the owner of the voice. George was standing on the stairs, gripping the rail tight, like his sister he too had bright red puffy eyes which matched his hair and freckles. "She'd have us playing happy families, living in the past and forgetting what has happened! Things will never go back mum! Fred's place will always be empty at that table, how can you pretend otherwise? Like he never existed!"

Mrs Weasley's face turned bright red, but before she could say anything back, George ran back up the stairs out of sight and slamming his door moments later. Not knowing what to say or do, Hermione stared down at her food, her appetite now gone. Out of the corner of her eye she watched Mrs Weasleys reaction, watched as tears filled the mourning mother's eyes. She wasn't red faced with anger; but with grief and pain instead, abandoning the breakfast and taking off her apron. Mrs Weasley hurried across the room and up the stairs, presumably to go see the distraught twin.

An awkward silence fell upon the room, an atmosphere that Hermione couldn't help but feel she had caused. "I'm sorry Mr Weasley, I never meant for my arrival to cause trouble." Hermione said apologetically after a few moments had passed.

Hermione almost jumped and yelped out in surprise when a rough hand clapped her on the back. "It's not your fault Mione." Ron said in his best attempt at a reassuring voice, which didn't sound very convincing to her ears.

"Ron is right Hermione. This has been coming for days. I'm just sorry you had to witness such an outburst so soon after being released." Mr Weasley sighed, sitting back in his chair as he laid his knife and fork to rest. _'It's not the day's first…'_ "Molly… She's in denial, about Fred. She won't talk about him, or anything to do with what happened."

"It started a few days after we went to Azkaban. Dad came down to find mum cooking away and carrying on as normal… You couldn't utter a word about it without fear she'd blow." Ron added in a low whisper in her ear, as if just in case his mother overheard him. "Think she's bloody lost it."

"Come now Ron, it's not your mother's fault. We all deal with grief in different ways." Mr Weasley stated after giving a Ron a hard look that warned him not to cross the line.

Hermione nodded softly, she couldn't begin to understand how Mrs Weasley felt, a mother losing a child was said to be one of the greatest pains imaginable. Of course the same is said for a father, but a mother brings her children into the world, and it's said when they depart before their time, a part of them dies with their child. _'No parent wishes to outlive their children… No parent, mother or father should have to bury them.'_ Such a pain, such an unbearable loss, could change someone to the very core, but one thing is for sure; they'd never be the same again. Hermione felt ashamed as what she had seen previously as a naïve charade finally became clear, they weren't being ignorant, they were trying to help Mrs Weasley through her grief by going along with it.

"I'm sorry again for your loss. How are you holding up?" Hermione asked Weasley senior.

"Me?" Mr Weasley's face twitched as he clasped his hands, nodding slowly. "I miss Fred, every day. And I always will. But I still need to be strong and provide for my family…" If Mr Weasley planned to say more, he never got the chance to as Ginny bolted over to him, sitting herself on her father's lap and hugging him tight.

Not wanting to intrude, Hermione smiled softly and diverted her eyes as a father and a daughter comforted each other. Glancing slightly to the side at Ron, she watched as her boyfriend toyed with his breakfast. Gently she reached out and covered his large hand with hers and squeezed softly. "I'm ok…" The ginger said as he gave her a short smile before looking up from his food.

After a few moments passed, Ginny dismissed herself, giving Harry a quick peck on the cheek before heading off to the bathroom. With Ginny reassured, Mr Weasley dismissed himself along with Kingsley and left to discuss private matters and from the look she was given before they left, Hermione knew it was to do with her.

With breakfast undoubtedly over, the trio left to find a private place to talk, which as expected, ended up being Ron's room. After placing a silencing charm placed on the door and clearing the room a little, the boy's took seats on their beds and Hermione awkwardly found herself joining Ron on his.

No one said anything for a while; the boys kept exchanging each other looks, occasionally glancing in her direction. They seemed to be waiting for her to open up about her time inside and most likely how it came to be that she was released. '_I wonder who will try and pry first…'_ her gaze dropped to the floor. This was a topic Hermione had hoped to avoid for as long as possible, she had no idea what to say, what she could say and what to keep to herself, besides the obvious.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Harry shrug and felt the bed shift under her slightly. "Mione…" Ron said softly as he reached out for her shoulder. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Hermione gritted her teeth and resisted the urge to shrug off Ron's hand. "No. But you two obviously do so get it out of your system already." She snapped far more than intended. "Sorry… I mean, what do you want to know?"

Again Harry and Ron exchanged a look, before Harry took the lead. "Do you know why you were let out? I mean we are over the moon that you are but… Like Ginny said, the Goblin's made it clear you were there to stay…"

Different answers rushed through her head, different variations of the truth, some more elaborate, some more vague, but in the end she settled on a single word. "Bellatrix."

There was very little that could get Harrys face redder than Ron's hair, but Bellatrixs name was one of the things that got his blood boiling. Taking a deep breath, Hermione started from the beginning, surprising herself at how open and honest she was being about the whole affair. Expressing most of her feelings, her thoughts, all up to the day Bellatrix arrived and beyond. Hermione told them almost everything, almost every exchange both verbal and physical, leaving out anything remotely sexual. Apart from one kiss, the first kiss Bellatrix gave her and as far as they knew, the only kiss. She didn't want to tell them of course, but she had no choice, her story would have had too many holes in if she didn't bridge the gap.

"WHAT?!" Ron bellowed in her ear and nearly fell off the bed in shock. "She kissed you?!"

Hermione nodded slowly, trying her hardest not to blush or give away anything that would suggest she felt anything other than disgust for the Death Eater. "Like I said, she was heavily drugged and…" Hermione paused, almost letting slip part of Bellatrix's secret and while she didn't feel she owed it to the dark witch the keep her secrets, but she also didn't feel they needed saying. "Deluded."

"Ugh that must have been horrible! Being kissed by such a twisted evil bitch! Must have been like kissing poison." Ron spat out darkly. '_Well it was intoxicating… And far better than any kiss you and I have shared.'_ Hermione thought with growing annoyance, unaware that her fingers were digging into her legs at Ron verbally attacking Bellatrix.

Shaking her head, Hermione swiftly moved on with telling her story before Ron's verbal bashing got out of hand and before she found herself defending the Death Eater. But she did heavily emphasis how Bellatrix had helped and saved her life, in her own warped way and that the Death Eater wasn't as evil and two dimension as she came across, that she had other sides. She spoke quickly to stop the boys interrupting her, to stop them questioning her story.

Hermione had no idea how much time had passed, or how long she had been talking but when she was done the morning sun was now high above the Weasley's home and her throat parched. '_Well… That was the easy part… And now their questions will come, as will mine followed by their excuses…'_

"Wow that… Wow… That's fucked up…" Harry muttered as he sat back. "That… Thing… She really saved you?"

"Bellatrix. Yes. And helped Kingsley and Tonks." Hermione said with a short nod, not even allowing herself a short smile for fear it would betray her.

Ron choked out a brief laugh, looking completely astonished and taken aback. "Blimey I bet Tonks is mad as hell." He remarked trying to sound serious, but Hermione could tell he was trying hard to mask his amusement at that.

Hermione nodded in agreement and let out a sigh. "She wasn't happy… Nor was she happy with my suggestion." Without drawing any attention to it, Hermione casually stroked her cheek where Tonks had left just how unhappy she was with her. '_I wish unhappy was all she was with me, unhappy could be mended…'_

"I bet she wasn't! Bloody hell Hermione why would you even consider that?" Ron's voice snapped her away from her thoughts, in an accusing tone of voice, as if everything that had happened was suddenly her fault.

Before she could try defending herself and her actions, Harry quickly sided with Ron. "Have you forgotten who and what she is? She's a murderous psychotic bitch!" He snapped at her angrily, giving her a dark look, a look almost that of disgust.

Pain rippled faintly throughout her thighs as her fingers dug deeper and harder into her legs. "Have I forgotten? Have I forgotten?!" Hermione snapped back, her voice growing increasingly louder as her thoughts of abandonment, of _her_ being forgotten came flooding back, washing away her restraint. '_How dare he… How dare they make this my fault! If they hadn't of abandoned me I would probably have never seen Bellatrix in the way I see her now!'_ "How can I forget with this?" Her hand came up swiftly and ripped her sleeve up, revealing the mudblood scar Bellatrix had given her. "Or this?" Hermione's hand shot up and moved the hair aside that had been concealing her Azkaban ID, branded in black on her neck, drawing gasps from the boys. "I will never forget the day the world I helped saved, turned its back on me." Hermione whispered darkly.

Pity filled their eyes and their anger dissolved in an instant. '_I don't want or need their pity! I want answers!' _She thought angrily as she jumped to her feet, turning to face both of her so called friends. "I owed her! That murderous psychotic bitch as you so elegantly put it is the only reason I survived Azkaban both physically and mentally! So what does that say about you two?"

Ron and Harry looked at each other in shock; clearly they had no idea what was upsetting her so much, which only angered her further. "What do you mean?" The redhead said finally, scratching his head as he tried to figure out what she was getting at.

Resisting the urge to strangle her ignorant boyfriend, Hermione didn't hold back and laid into the two boys with as much anger as she could muster. "I mean aside from a couple of visits from Tonks and the twofaced guard who turned out to be a lowlife after the bounty on my head. Bellatrix was the only person I had for company! A Death Eater was the only one who had my back in her own fucked up way when the rest of the world left me to rot in that hell! You two included!"

"Hermione…" Ron got to his feet and approached her slowly, his hand reached out.

But there was no way Hermione was going to let him touch her, she stepped back and swatted his hand away. "No! I don't want to hear it! I've always been there for you both, as best I could! And when it was finally my time to need you, you abandoned me!"

Her boyfriend shook his head rapidly; he looked back at Harry and mouthed something before turning to face her again. "Hermione please! This isn't like you."

Harry was on his feet next, looking just as dismayed at her hostility towards them. "He's right, this is Azkaban's and Bellatrixs influence on you, you're not thinking straight!"

Hermione let out a short sharp laugh, which probably only made the boys believe further that she wasn't in her right mind. But she couldn't help it, if she didn't laugh at it, she would have cried, and in no way was she going to allow them to worm their way out of this by being _nice_, it would be too little too late. "Unbelievable… You're both too cowardly to acknowledge the truth, not man enough to accept you're at fault!" Hermione began pacing as she grew restless, her feet wanted to escape but her mouth had far more to say. "You couldn't even be bothered to send me a single letter to say you hadn't forgotten me, nothing was stopping you!" Ron pulled a face that he usually pulled when he was about to tell a half-hearted lie. Hermione quickly rounded on him and got up close to his face. "Don't even try to lie! I know full well there wasn't and I know you both haven't been rushed off your feet! So tell me, why?"

"Why?" Ron repeated with a blank look as he took a step back.

Suddenly feeling very powerful, Hermione closed the distance and kept on doing so every time Ron moved back until he tripped and fell back on his bed. "Yes Ron! Why? Why no letters, why no visits, why no anything?"

Ron quickly dropped her gaze and looked to Harry for support; Hermiones eyes followed and look at him too, as if to remind him that the questions were directed at him too. But between them, they couldn't even form a coherent sentence, let alone a plausible excuse. "Don't think too hard! I wouldn't want this to be a challenge!" She snapped, growing rapidly inpatient waiting for an answer, until an answer of her own came to her. "Perhaps the reason why you can't give me an answer is that you thought I'd never get out, that you would never see me so you'd never need to know the answer!"

Seeing red, Hermione swung her hand fast and slapped both of the boys hard across the face, and without another word, stormed out of the bedroom. _'That's three close friends I've struck, three friends I've lost. I'm free… And yet I've never felt more alone…'_

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><p><strong>Bellatrix<strong>

Bellatrix was bored; she lay on her bed clucking her tongue to pass the time. It had been a few days since the mudblood girl had been released, but it may as well have been weeks, months, as each one seemed to go on forever. Every day had been exactly the same as the last since the girl left, meals came and went, the sun replaced the moon and vice versa, with nothing to fill the endless voids between the only two events that signified roughly the time of day. She found herself missing the old Azkaban; at least she could listen to the endless whining and screaming of her fellow inmates. The thought of being utterly bored until the end of her days, which at the rate they were dragging, would be a very long time off, was not a punishment she felt she could ever deserve.

Though the old Azkaban wasn't all Bellatrix was missing, as much as it pained her to admit, she was missing her mudblood wing mate. '_Her company wasn't so… Bad. Least I had something to do then… Someone to do at times too.' _A mischievous smile played about her lips as she called upon her memories and remembered some of their exchanges, both verbal and physical, but mostly the physical ones. Recounting past events was just about the only thing to do, in the old Azkaban you was forced to relive the worst moments of your life again and again. This time she could choose to relive the best, which unsurprisingly she found her didn't have many. Bellatrix knew that already, she had lived her life for a cause; in servitude to someone she had believed. Fighting for the Dark Lord, those used to be her best moments, but after seeing what had happened to her baby sister at the Dark Lords orders… Those once joyful memories had turned to ash.

Once she put aside just about every disastrous childhood memory, every moment serving the Dark Lord one way or another, she was left with very little she wished to recall. Bellatrix could probably count all the truly happy moments in her life on her hands, and that was being generous. And half of those, if she followed her train of thought, would eventually end up leading to the darkest and most painful moments. '_Happiness… Always turns to ash in your mouth in the end.'_

Bellatrix had tried to forget the girl once she left, she had hoped that once out of sight, the girl would be off her mind from there on, to get back to being herself somewhat. It worked, briefly, for no more than an hour, and then she found herself already hoping for a visit. Not that Bellatrix believed the girl would ever return, she wouldn't if she were her. Bellatrix did consider having a visiting order sent to her baby sister, but her pride stopped her, she had made a point about never seeing Narcissa again and she stubbornly wouldn't go back on it.

Other than the off chance that the girl would visit, the only other thing on the horizon other than her death was the arrangement to see a therapist. As of yet she hadn't heard anything about that since the girl had mentioned it, nothing official, not that official word from the Ministry counted for much to her. But if the girl had been telling the truth about that and if the Ministry went along with it, and of course if she did and the therapist deemed her _okay_. Then she could be one step closer to freedom, not as an escaped convict again but as free _reformed_ woman. Did she dare hope for that? What did she have to lose?

Shaking her head she pushed all questions aside and started rapping her fingers against the mattress, it was no good questioning it. She would only seem how utterly deluded the prospect of freedom was and right now, she was content with having false hope, it's not like she had much else to hold onto.

And so she continued to lie there, fidgeting, remembering the same memories over and over. When Bellatrix next heard footsteps, she ignored them, believing it was time for her next meal. "I'm not hungry." Bellatrix muttered without looking at her guest when the footsteps stopped.

"Good thing it's not meal time yet then." Said a familiar male voice.

Bellatrix looked up to see Head Warden Brown standing by her cell. "Well, this is an unexpected surprise. For what do I owe this _pleasure_?" She asked dryly, feigning disinterest, she didn't want to come across hopeful in case the visit was nothing special, didn't want to give them a good laugh at dashing a Death Eaters hopes.

Mr Brown regarded her for a moment, his lips pursed tight. As Bellatrix waited for his reply, she couldn't help but notice a document clenched in his hands. "As I'm sure you are aware." He began to say, grabbing her attention. "Due to your… Recent actions and some prompting from Miss Granger. It has been suggested you be put forward for an extensive rehabilitation program. But before you can even be considered for that, it is the Ministers wish you see a therapist for the foreseeable future until we are satisfied, then and only then will you be put on the program."

"I see." Bellatrix stated flatly, unsure how she felt about what the Head Warden had said. '_For the foreseeable future until they are satisfied… That could just be a fancy way of saying I will never enrol on the program…'_ "And when do I start seeing this… Therapist?"

"As you can imagine, not many people would be willing to go along with such a task for you and as a result, every therapist we have asked as of yet has declined your case." To Mr Brown's credit, his tone held no malice or glee as he dropped that bombshell, not that it made Bellatrix feel any better. Her short lived hope had already been dashed. '_Why am I not surprised.'_ Anger rose up inside her and she was about to snap when Mr Brown continued. "However… We have had a volunteer willing to take up your case."

Bellatrix blinked in surprise. "Who?" She asked cautiously.

"Despite the fact she's not officially qualified as a therapist. The Minister believes her connection to you makes her just as suitable for the task, if not more so." He went on to say, ignoring her question.

'_A connection to me? Could it be… The mudblood?' _Getting to her feet, Bellatrix approached Mr Brown. "Who?" She half demanded, half pleaded, eager to hear the name she was hoping to hear.

Head Warden Brown frowned and sighed as he looked down at the file. "_Andromeda Tonks_."

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><p><strong>AN:** Hope you enjoyed the latest instalment, I know this particular chapter wasn't worth the long wait, but it needed doing ^^ Plenty is yet to come, and I will be updating again soon x


	15. Chapter 15: A Dance with Dragons

**A/N:** Thank you for the overwhelming response to the previous chapter, I had no idea so many people were still following it, let alone waiting on the next instalment. I had a great deal of fun writing this chapter, despite having to rewrite it at least four times! Hope you enjoy it ;) It's a big one.

I do not have a Beta so all mistakes are my own and I apologise in advance for those I've missed.

**Disclaimer**: The world of Harry Potter and the original storyline are not mine; they belong to J.K. Rowling.

Read, review and most of all… Enjoy!

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><p><strong>Chapter 15: <strong>**A Dance with Dragons**

**Hermione**

Something lightly tapping on her nose stirred Hermione from her slumber. A dead weight was resting heavy on her chest, through sleepy eyes she saw a big orange blur. As she yawned, a soft head of hair pushed against lightly against her hand, followed by something bushy brushing against her nose. "Crookshanks… Get your bum out of my face you big orange lump." The half-Kneazle tomcat meowed in response and Hermione felt his weight shift on her, then a small rough dry tongue licking her cheek. Hermione couldn't help but giggle. "Crookshanks! Stop it!" But the cat didn't relent. "Ok ok I'm up!"

Hermione smiled and opened her eyes to see large warm orange eyes glaring back at her. "Stupid cat." She muttered as she started to scratch the cat's ears, looking around Ginny's room, her eyes came to rest on the youngest Weasley's empty bed. "Did you wake her up too Shanks? Now that's not very nice." Whether Crookshanks guessed that Hermione was playing or being serious, the cat purred regardless.

After lavishing her devoted pet with attention, she gently pushed him off and turned onto her side to check the time. "Ugh… Almost half eleven… Guess I should get up." With a sleepy groan, Hermione chucked the duvet off and started hunting for something clean and decent to wear.

Despite falling out with Ron and Harry a few days ago, she was still a _guest _at the Weasley household. It wasn't like she had anywhere else to go for the moment, not that Mr or Mrs Weasley would have let her leave. They knew something had happened, there was no way anyone could fail to miss the thick atmosphere, yet they didn't pry, much to Hermione's relief.

Even though Ginny had been on the outside the whole time and like the boys, didn't try to contact or see her, Hermione wasn't upset with the youngest Weasley. In fairness Hermione should have been, but she didn't have the heart to give Ginny the cold shoulder. It was clear how distraught she was over what had happened, everyone that had died, her brother, Remus, Lavender and other friends she had known. How could Hermione be mad at her? Not when she had to listen to the poor girl sob her heart out every night. The first night back, Hermione had even found herself slipping into Ginny's bed to comfort her friend, forgoing her first chance at a goodnights sleep as she gave the redhead a shoulder to cry on.

Crookshanks was another reason why Hermione didn't have any ill feelings towards Ginny. The first day at the Burrows, after her fight with the boys, Ginny had found her gathering her thoughts in a field not far from the house. And with her, she brought the tomcat, reuniting her with her loyal companion. "She looked after you didn't she? While I was away…" Hermione said softly as she knelt down to stroke the cat's back. "Can tell how fond of her you are now, the fact you chose to wake her up before me makes that all too clear." Hermione smiled, giving the tomcat a few more strokes before pulling on her shoes. _'At least her taking care of Shanks showed that she hadn't forgotten about me, unlike the boys.' _

Hermione sighed; she had no idea what to do about the boys. She had barely seen or spoken to them since their fight, only doing so when she had to remain civil, but other than that she steered clear. Catching up on recent events and reading while they did whatever, to be honest she didn't know what they got up to, half the time they weren't even at the Burrow but she didn't care enough to ask. "What do you think Crookshanks? How long do you think before I will cave and forgive them?" The half-Kneazle cat sat and tilted its head to the side as it meowed. Hermione couldn't help but laugh lightly at him. "Now who does the remind me off? Wouldn't be surprised if I found out your Kneazle parent was owned by the Blacks."

_'Hmm yes… Who does that remind me off now?'_ Before Azkaban, her answer would have automatically been Tonks. But now… Now her answer was the opposite._ 'Bellatrix… Though maybe that's just because I can't get her out of my head…'_ Hermione thought, unsure just how she felt about that, unsure how she felt in general. On one hand she was glad to be away from the insane yet beautiful woman and on the other… She found she was somewhat missing the dark witch's company. Although what she missed she wasn't sure, given that most of it was hateful, abusive and terrifying. But those rare moments when it was otherwise, seemed to make all the bad ones trivial and those rare moments were slowly but surely becoming more common as their time together went on.

_'I wonder what would have become of… Whatever it was we were… I'm not even sure… Enemies? Hmm perhaps not anymore, or at least not at the level we once were. Rivals? No, that requires some degree of equality, I doubt highly doubt she sees me as an equal even now… Friends? Does Bellatrix even know what friendship is? Hmm, perhaps… Lovers?'_ For a while Hermione sat on the bedroom floor contemplating about Bellatrix and the extent of her relationship with the Death Eater, though the idea she was willing to accept that she even possibly had some sort of relationship with the dark witch was scary enough.

Hermione had hoped that once she was out of Azkaban and had a proper night sleep, that whatever was the reason behind Bellatrix playing on her mind, would go. But it didn't. She thought of the dark witch more often than not, although half of the time not by choice. Hermione would see something, or hear something that linked in some way to Bellatrix, whether it was about stuff that happened during the war, about Voldemort and the Death Eaters, or about Bellatrix herself. It was enough to set her mind racing. What made matters worse was that everything she saw or heard with some connection to Bellatrix, was dark, depressing and evil. It should have renewed her hate, but she had no such luck, cause then things would have been easier. It seemed she was stuck with her conflicting interest and feelings for Bellatrix. Something she felt overwhelming guilt about and no little amount of disgust and hate for herself.

It wasn't till a rapid knock at the door, was Hermione torn away from her confusing thoughts. Standing up, she adjusted her clothes so she looked presentable before heading over and opening the door.

"Afternoon Hermione." Mr Weasley said with a warm a smile after the door opened.

"Afternoon?" Hermione repeated looking a little bewildered; she looked over her shoulder at the clock to see the time was now just turning 1PM._ 'Wow… How time flies when you're having fun being torn in two by conflicting emotions…'_ Hermione sighed and shook her head. "Sorry Mr Weasley, I completely lost track of time."

"No need to apologise Hermione, it's understandable you'd want to catch up on sleep. Ron and Harry were the same, slept in nearly all day for their first few days back here." Hermione forced a smile at the mention of the boys but didn't say or do anything else to acknowledge them, not that Mr Weasley noticed. "Any other day and I would have left you too it, but I wanted to check if you were still on for today, as we've got to get going soon if you are."

"Today? Going?" Again Hermione repeated looking even more bewildered, she stared at him for a moment as she raked her brain trying to remember whatever it was Mr Weasley was referring too. Then it hit her, like a bludger to the stomach, not that she knew what they felt like, given her distaste for the barbaric sport. She could only guess it felt similar to the feeling she was experiencing now. "The Hogwarts fallen service! I completely forgot! Yes! I mean, of course I will still come, have I got time to finish getting ready?"

Mr Weasley nodded. "It doesn't officially start till half three, so you've still got plenty of time. We're all waiting downstairs so come when you are ready."

"Yes of course, I'll be as quick as I can." Hermione rushed out quickly, looking ashamed with herself. Mr Weasley nodded in reply and set off downstairs, closing the door Hermione rushed around in a panic, looking for a more formal outfit before heading to the bathroom._ 'Today we remember those who fell at Hogwarts, and I forgot… I forgot because I was too busy thinking of Bellatrix, a woman who probably claimed a fair few of those life's… What the hell is wrong with me!'_ Hermione thought angrily, guiltily, never before did she hate herself as much as she did right now.

* * *

><p><strong>Bellatrix<strong>

The light was almost blinding, shining bright from the glowing orb, it reflected of every surface possible and seemed to find its way into Bellatrix's eyes no matter where she looked. Bellatrix growled and gritted her teeth, hoping that her sensitive eyes which had yet again became accustomed to the darkness of Azkaban, would adjust soon. Even closing her eyes didn't help; she could still see the light seeping through her lids. Even if she could see properly, there was little to take in. The room she had been led to and left in was about as boring and bland as everything else in Azkaban. Bright white walls, floor and ceiling made up the small box room, a table with chairs either side of it, one of which she was fastened to were the only things other than the blinding orb inside.

_'If I knew I'd be subjugated to the more foolish practices of wizarding therapy on top of everything else! I never would have gone along with it!'_ She thought with increased frustration. Bellatrix had always had a low tolerance for divination since she was a student, not because she didn't believe in such things, but because of the many different foolish areas and branches of the discipline. Wizarding therapy was one such area, filled with impractical nonsense, foolish practices and idiotic superstitions.

The blinding orb in a small bright white box room was one of those practices. It was believed by those that practiced magical therapy that such _pure _conditions helped relax a tormented soul, pacify dark thoughts and open doors to the mind that conventional methods wouldn't access. Though that wasn't quite the effect it was having on Bellatrix, if anything it was making her irritated to say the least and in no way were her dark thoughts being pacified. All in all Bellatrix didn't need the extra annoyances when she was already on the brink of snapping, and the reason for her bad mood was meant to making her debut at any moment. _'Andromeda…'_

When Head Warden Brown told her that Andromeda was going to be her stand in therapist, she was at a loss for words. If she could have, she would have refused, loudly and violently out of habit, but she had been far too livid to talk and by the time she could scream, Mr Brown was long gone. Not that his absence stopped her screaming in fury, because she did, all night long till her throat was excruciatingly raw.

Bellatrix saw Andromeda's appointment as her therapist as a grave insult, although in truth she wasn't sure who was delivering the insult, the Ministry or her disgraced sister. Perhaps it was both. Over the course of the previous few days, Bellatrix had made it known how unhappy she was, taking it out on the guards until Mr Brown had no choice but to return. _'If you are this unhappy with Mrs Tonks coming we can cancel it, however we will not be extending this privilege again. And as you well know, no therapy means no rehabilitation program. So, shall I go tell Mrs Tonks now not to bother?'_ She recalled bitterly, word for word.

Bellatrix almost did, it had been on the tip of her tongue to tell him where he could stuff it, but at the last possible moment, she held her tongue. Even now she didn't honestly know what stopped her, but what Bellatrix did know is that at the moment before she was about to refuse, an image of the mudblood flashed before her eyes. And that proved enough to change her mind, though for the love of Merlin she didn't know why. The girl had no doubt put herself in an awkward situation arranging for Bellatrix's second chance; maybe part of her felt she owed it to the girl to give it a shot regardless. Or at least the reason she told herself, compared to others lurking deep within her, it was the least crazy and unsettling one.

Whatever her reason truly was, for now it didn't matter. What mattered was what she would say or how she would act to Andromeda. If she acted how she'd have normally acted, Andy would leave and Bellatrix would lose her deluded and dim hope of freedom. If however she acted civil and _nice_, Andy might get the wrong idea and believe Bellatrix had forgiven her, which she most certainly had not and probably never would. And yet, even that was debateable deep within. Bellatrix was all too aware that her views and feelings on matters were shifting, slowly, very slowly, but changing nonetheless. She was starting to feel and think things that she hadn't experienced for over three decades, and that was beginning to terrify Bellatrix. _'That person had been foolish, pitiful and weak! I will not go back to being that! I cannot…' _

Before Bellatrixs line of thought could slip further into old and painful territory, her attention was torn away from the thick steel door opening. Under the desk her fingers clenched out of sight as the light illuminated a female figure in the doorway wearing a formal black suit. "Andromeda." Bellatrix forced out with only a slight sharp edge to her tone, which in her eyes was plenty civil.

"Bellatrix." Andromeda nodded in reply as she stepped into the room, only turning briefly to gesture to the guard that it was ok to shut the door.

Once the door was shut, Andromeda just stood by the entrance, clutching at some files, looking closely at her as if wondering if Bellatrix would try attacking her if she got too close. "Well, sit then!" Bellatrix snapped. "If you think I'm going to look up at you, you got another thing coming."

Andromeda seemed to consider her words for a second before reluctantly taking her seat. Rolling her eyes slightly, Bellatrix took in her younger sister. It had been years since she had seen her up close like this, decades even. The years had been kind to her, she was still fair and beautiful, an almost perfect reflection of Bellatrix, minus the dental hygiene. Although despite her youthful looks, her age was evident in her face and eyes, she looked tired, both physically and mentally, like she had aged rapidly over a short period. It didn't take a genius to guess what had been taking its toll on the younger witch, something that Bellatrix was partly to blame for. Much to Bellatrixs dismay, she found she wasn't taking as much joy in that fact as she would have thought.

Shaking her head, Bellatrix forced aside such thoughts before she unwillingly felt anything other than betrayal and hate for Andy. While distracted, Andromeda had already finished messing around with the files she had been carrying and was already watching Bellatrix closely. For a while the sister's sat in silence, trying to suss the other out while waiting for them to make the first move._ 'If she thinks I'm starting… This off… She's going to be sorely disappointed…' _

"Right…" Andy began to say as she looked down at the paperwork. "As you know these sessions are to evaluate your state of mind and whether or not you could be ready for rehabilitation at some point down the line." For a moment her sister paused as she pulled out some parchment, an inkwell and a quill before turning her attention back to Bellatrix. "So since this is our first session I will ask some basic questions then-"

"Why are you here?" Bellatrix growled out lowly as she already started to lose her patience.

"I just said-"

"No!" She snapped. "Why are _you _here Andromeda?"

Her sister sat back in her chair, her face impassive while she studied Bellatrix, their gazes locking for what seemed like an eternity before Andromeda answered. "Because no one else would do it." She said in plain and professional manner, before her shoulders dropped. "And because Cissy asked me if I would." Andromeda admitted with a sigh, her large dark eyes growing soft as she looked away. "And… Because I wanted to, because we're still sisters."

Bellatrix inhaled sharply. "No! We're not! And we haven't been for a very long time! Not since you chose _them _over our family, over me and Cissy!" She spat out darkly at the top of her voice, practically shrieking by the time she was done.

Andromeda seemed to be completely unmoved by her yelling and instead had the nerve to meet her sister's gaze without a trace of fear, guilt or shame. "Like you have done?"

Her eyes widened in surprise at her sister's remark, her hands were clutching of their own accord at the chair with all her strength until it felt like her fingers would snap under the strain. "What? You dare imply-"

"I don't need to imply anything." Her sister said sharply over the top of her, cutting her off midsentence. "The reason you are here is because of a muggleborn. Because you chose to save her, you chose her over freedom, over being back with your family."

"This isn't the same!" Bellatrix shouted as she shot forward in her chair, getting as close to in Andromeda's face as her restraints would allow her._ 'She's brave… For a coward, but would she be so brave if I wasn't secured down… Hmmm, probably… Andy and Cissy are some of very few who don't fear me.'_ She mused, her sister not batting an eyelid at her sudden movement.

"Isn't it?"

"No! I have no family to return too! You are all filthy traitors!" Bellatrix spat out in her sister's unflinching face. "You and Cissy were my family, and you both betrayed me!"

"Cissy never betrayed you, she betrayed Voldemort-" The former Death Eater hissed loudly at the mention of her late master's name. "For family. Including you." Andromeda finished, crossing her arms, to Bellatrix she looked like she had more to add but was holding back for some reason.

"The Dark Lord was our family's future! Betraying him was betraying the family!"

Andromeda unfolded her arms and slammed her hands on the table as she stood up. Her sister's abrupt action almost caused Bellatrix to flinch, almost. "How can you defend him! After what he did and let happen to her?" Andy cried out angrily, tears glistening in her eyes._ 'She can't mean… Surely Cissy didn't show her too?'_ Bellatrix thought as she stared up, looking completely dumbfounded. It must have been written all over her face as to what Bellatrix was thinking as Andromeda slowly nodded. "Yes Bella, I know all about it, Cissy showed me too! How could you disown her like that? Turn your back on her after what happened to her? After what happened to our baby sister?!"

Then Bellatrix did something, something that she done very rarely in her life and never before to her sister, she backed down. Dropping her head, she stared at her hands as feelings of guilt and shame overwhelmed her. "I… I didn't know…" She whispered out, more to herself than to her sister._ 'I didn't know what he let happen to our baby sister… I didn't know he broke another promise to me… If I did… I would have… I would have… Killed him myself! No one does that to my baby sister… Not even the Dark Lord!'_ She thought darkly, her former feelings of love, devotion and admiration for Voldemort were long gone, replaced by hate and bitterness, knowing that she could never get revenge, never right that wrong.

"And you know why, don't you? Because you was too obsessed with him to notice her pain! She wasn't the one who turned her back on you, you turned you're back on her!"

Bellatrix shook her head as her sister carried on yelling at her, feeling unsure how to act. She wanted to yell back, out of principle and pride, but… She was far too ashamed, because the truth of the matter was… Andromeda was right._ 'I'm sorry Cissy…'_ She thought as she tried to mumble some sort of denial at the floor. "I would never-"

"You already have!"

Sighing deeply, she slowly nodded. "I know… It was for her own good." Forcing herself to get a grip, Bellatrix looked slowly up at her sister. "How is she?"

Whether it was her soft tone of voice or the look sincere look on Bellatrix's face, Andromeda's hostile demeanour rapidly changed when their gazes met. "She's… Coping. Things aren't easy for her and her family at the moment, as you can probably imagine." She said as she took a step back and returned to her seat. "She misses you."

Those last three words were like a dagger to Bellatrix's heart who found herself having to bite her tongue to stop the first thing that came to her. "Yeah well… I can't do much about that can I." Frowning, she leant back in her chair.

"You could have…" Andromeda said slowly, watching her closely with a calculated look, as if trying to work her older sister out. "You could have gone through with… It, got your freedom and made things alright for her. Like you have always done."

Bellatrix shook her again and broke eye contact, turning to look at the wall instead as she spoke. "No. Cissy don't need me, she hasn't done for a long time. She's not that little girl anymore."

"Are you sure about that?" Her sister asked softly, peering her head around to try catch Bellatrix's eye. "I know you were… _Busy_, and had no time for small chats. But that little girl is still there, you just need to scratch the surface a little."

"I did, once." Bellatrix confessed as she turned slightly to look at her sister, chewing down on her lip as she debated bringing up what she and Narcissa had talked about. Just after breaking out of Azkaban and being reunited with her sister after fourteen long years, it had been so good to see her baby sister again that she couldn't help but have a sisterly catch up. A trip down memory lane had followed, touching upon subjects they hadn't talked about in over two decades. Bellatrix smiled to herself as she remembered getting the uptight and snobby _Mrs Malfoy_ drunk on her husband's liquor, holding her baby sister on the sofa by the fireplace and chatting about anything and everything before succumbing to the effects of intoxication. One particular subject was brought up, one that in her drunken state, she had secretly wished Andromeda had been there to share. Catching her sister's gaze again, she decided for reasons unknown to her, to partly fulfil that wish. "We talked about that time Cissy spotted that _pretty_ daffodil."

Andromeda's face went pale, knowing full well what Bellatrix was referring to and is if by reflex, hastily touched brow. "Oh Merlin… My eyebrows were never the same again." Andromeda pouted and was about to say something when she noticed Bellatrix sniggering. "It wasn't funny Bella!" Her sister snapped, but Bellatrix wasn't paying attention, her mind was too busy thinking back to events long since passed.

* * *

><p><strong>Bellatrix<strong>

**31 Years Ago**

"Don't wander too far girls; I want you back in a couple of hours for dinner." The raven haired woman called out to them. "Oh and Bellatrix." The girls stopped as Bellatrix looked over her shoulder. "No getting into trouble." The woman said sternly.

"Yes mother." Bellatrix said with a sigh as she rolled her eyes, before gently pulling on her two sisters arms and guiding them away into the forest. "Come; let's go find something fun to do."

Bellatrix had just finished her sixth year at Hogwarts and as an early seventeenth birthday present, one of her distant relatives, had invited her family to stay at their family home. Normally she was weary about visiting family, but this trip she had only been too happy to go on, for the simple reason that her father was far too busy to attend. _'A week without father… That has to be the best birthday present ever… Although…_' Her hand slyly checked that she still had her secret package on her. _'I've still got this early present to open.'_

"So, got any idea where we are going Bella?" Andromeda asked as they moved deeper into the forest.

Bellatrix turned to look at Andy as they walked, cocking her head to the side as she pondered. "Hmm… There's meant to be a lake somewhere by those mountains." Smiling she looked down at the little blonde girl walking besides her closely. "Perhaps we'll find some Merpeople for Cissy to play with; maybe they will even sing for us if I tell them to."

"Really? Can we Bella?" Narcissa squeaked out cheerfully, looking up at her sisters with her large blue eyes as Bellatrix nodded in reply. "Wish I could sing like them… Can you really speak Merpeople Bella?"

A grin spread across Bellatrix's face, trying hard not to laugh at her little sister's naivety. Andromeda must have sensed how she was about to get the giggles and gave her a little discouraging nudge in the side. Rolling her eyes, she gently reached down and toyed with her little sister's hair. "They speak Mermish Cissy. And yes, I've had a lot of practice at Hogwarts."

Together Bellatrix and her sisters walked deeper and deeper into the forest as she and Andy chatted away, while Cissy ran ahead picking the prettiest flowers she could find and generally observing everything she saw that was remotely interesting. Which being the innocent and sheltered girl Narcissa was, meant pretty much everything was interesting in her eyes once she was out of her shell so to speak. Sometimes people confused Narcissa's withdrawn persona for her being slow; even at Hogwarts she had overheard professors calling her a mentally late bloomer. It wasn't true of course, Cissy was an especially bright girl, it was just subconsciously she kept it hidden and needed a lot of coaxing out. Bellatrix in no way blamed her for the way she was, it just made her even more protective of her baby sister. _'They don't understand, if they knew what home was like… Then they'd know why Cissy is the way she is…' _

In a way, she didn't want Cissy growing up, didn't want things to change between them. Narcissa idolized her every waking moment while Bellatrix loved Cissy unconditionally. She loved Andy too of course, just as much. But it was a different sort of sisterly love, Andy didn't need her like Cissy did and sometimes her and Andy were more likes rivals than sisters, sometimes even enemies when their completely different personalities clashed. However Bellatrix wouldn't change either of them for the world, she didn't know what she'd do without them and while she would never admit it even to them, she needed them, perhaps more than they needed her.

After a good half an hour walking, they finally came to their destination. Or rather heard their destination first, the sound of cascading water had been getting clearer and clearer. The trees began to thin as they approached the edge of the mountain, and soon they laid eyes on the large shimmering blue lake, sitting in the mountains shadow. Small waterfalls were flowing down the side from the deep within mountain, with a large one exiting from a wide gorge high up. _'I wonder if I could climb up to there.'_ Bellatrix thought as the girls looked around, there were plenty of places to rest by the lakeside, some ledges overhang where you could sit and dip your toes in the water, as well as parts where you could easily just wade in and have a swim. Opposite from where they were seemed to be a valley where the lake led into a river.

Grinning at their find, Bellatrix led her sisters to the water's edge, with finding out if there was Merpeople, being their first agenda. Which of course there wasn't, but nonetheless Bellatrix made the effort for her youngest sister. After _trying_, she broke the news to Cissy that the Merpeople weren't around today and to keep her from getting upset, Bellatrix told her to gather as many flowers as she could and that she'd make Cissy a crown out of them, just like Merpeople princesses wore.

"Don't wander too far Cissy!" Andromeda called out after her, frowning as Cissy headed to the edge of the forest.

"You sound like mother." Bellatrix scoffed, rising an eyebrow up at her younger sibling. "Don't be a spoilsport and just relax, let her enjoy herself. Worse thing that can happen is she gets stung by some nettles."

Andromeda's mouth twitched, looking like she had something to say, but instead she rolled her eyes and sat by Bellatrix. With Cissy happily occupied gathering more flowers, Bellatrix and Andromeda were free to sit by the water's edge, dangling their toes in the water as they chatted away. Lying back, Bellatrix felt something dig into her side. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out an oblong present wrapped in silver and green paper. "What's that?" Andromeda asked when she noticed the package in Bellatrix's hands. Bellatrix ignored her for the time being and slowly unwrapped the gift, revealing a plain black box. She stared down at the box as a lump got stuck in her throat, feeling nervous; she opened the box slowly with shaky hands. When Bellatrix saw the contents, her mouth dropped wide open. "Wow, that's beautiful." Andromeda gasped as she looked over Bellatrix's shoulder.

"It is…" Bellatrix managed to say, feeling at a loss for words as she lifted out a silver necklace. Attached to the necklace was an elegantly carved silver figurine of a bird's skull with small jet black pearls for eyes. "It's… A gift…" Bellatrix struggled to say, suddenly feeling very emotional. "An early birthday present from Dru…"

Andromeda awkwardly reached out and placed a hand gently on her arm, squeezing gently as Bellatrix fought back her tears. "She knows just what you like, here, let me." Bellatrix glared at her sister, not being sure how to react to her sister's gesture. After a few seconds, Bellatrix swallowed her pride and smiled as she slowly dropped the necklace into Andy's outstretched hand, before then lifting her hair away from the back of her neck. Reaching round Bellatrix's neck, her sister carefully put on the necklace for her. "There you go sis." Andromeda smiled warmly, sitting back up straight. "It suits you."

"Thank you… Sis." Bellatrix whispered quietly with teary eyes, looking down at the pendant as she gently rolled it about between her fingers. After allowing herself a few moments to think on Dru while looking at her gift, she wiped her eyes and sat up. "Mother won't notice, it blends in well with what I usually wear. But if she does, I'll just say we picked it up at a local shop." She said plainly, refusing to meet Andromeda's gaze as she stared out across the lake.

For a while they sat in silence as Bellatrix pondered over her predicament and for once Andromeda didn't pry. Instead she left her in peace and took over making Cissy's flowery crown when Cissy returned with more flowers._ 'This will be our last summer together.'_ She thought grimly as she watched her two sisters out of the corner of her eyes. _'This time next year… I'll be a Lestrange. No doubt once I lose the Black family name, father will do everything in his power to keep me from my sisters…'_ Feelings of bitterness and raw hatred rose up inside Bellatrix, her fists clenched tightly at her sides till pain rippled through her palms. _'Just let him try, him and my… Soon to be husband. Nothing will stop me, and I'll have the last laugh, just they wait…'_

Small hands and large blue eyes snapped her away from her thoughts as Cissy sat on my lap and hugged her. "Bella? You ok? You look upset…" Narcissa said while looking confused, Andromeda was also watching her closely, with a look of understanding in her eyes.

"I'm ok, just bored." Bellatrix said with a forced yawn before attacking Cissy, tickling her sides and making the blonde girl giggle hysterically._ 'Until the time is right… I'll just have to make the most of this.'_ Letting go of Cissy, Bellatrix looked back up to the side of the mountain. "Wait here a moment, I want to check something."

Passing Narcissa over to her other sister, Bellatrix slipped her boots back on and took a short stroll along the lakeside towards the mountain. When she couldn't get any closer on land, she jumped off the ledge and into the warm lake where she swam over to where the large waterfall hit the water. Taking a deep breath, Bellatrix dived under, swimming straight down and touching the bottom before ascending and heading back over to the shore. "Andy, Cissy, come over here." Bellatrix shouted as she climbed out of the lake soaking wet, shaking her head and moving the wet strands that clang to her face. _'This will be fun.'_ She thought and smiled mischievously as her sisters caught up to her. "We're going on a little… Adventure." Bellatrix said innocently as she took Cissy's hand.

Andromeda looked at her suspiciously, before her gaze shifted to where Bellatrix had dived down, then up high and froze. "No." She said flatly. "We are not doing that."

Cocking her head to the side, Bellatrix smiled sweetly at Andromeda. "Not doing what my dear sister?"

"You know what." Andy said disapproving, shaking her head. "Jumping from up there." She added as she pointed up at the large cave where the waterfall was emerging from.

"I was thinking no such thing!" Bellatrix lied, biting the inside of her mouth to stop herself grinning. "But now you mention it… That's a great idea! Don't you think Cissy?"

Much to Andromeda's apparent dismay, Narcissa nodded cheerfully. "What?! No!"

"But… It was your idea Andy." Narcissa stated, looking up at the second born Black sister with large pleading eyes while Bellatrix tried hard not to laugh.

"No it wasn't! It's Bella's, she made me say it out loud!"

"I have no idea what you mean Andy." Bellatrix feigned innocence as she looked down at Cissy. "As _if_… I could be so manipulative. You can't change your mind now after getting Cissy excited, come." And so with a sulking Andromeda in tow, Bellatrix led her two sisters up into the mountain.

The mountain itself was by no means impassable, plenty of crevices, gorges and large caves riddled the natural formation and no doubt many of the paths would lead right through to where they wanted. However despite that, their journey proved just as difficult as it would have been if they had to climb up the outside, perhaps even more so as they soon found themselves going round in circles. It didn't help that they to rely on natural light, being underage they weren't allowed to use magic to light the way and thus unable to venture deeper into the mountain._ 'Least it's spacious in here…'_ Bellatrix thought with a sigh as they came to a stop in another large cavern.

"I think we've been here…" Andromeda said with a sigh, sitting down on a large rock to catch her breath.

_'We have…' _Bellatrix admitted to herself, but kept quiet as she looked around. "There are plenty of caves we haven't taken yet." She said as she perched herself next to her sisters. Cissy looked worn out, even though all the system of caves were large and easy to pass through, all the walking had started to take its toll on the youngest sibling.

Andy sighed and shook her head. "Perhaps we should give up for today… We need to be getting back soon anyway. We can always try again tomorrow."

"No. You can hear the waterfall, we're so close… Just need to find the right path." Bellatrix frowned and kicked at the floor stubbornly.

Before Andromeda could argue, Cissy had perked up having noticed something. "Hey look at that?" She asked, pointing towards the darkness further towards the back of the cavern. Bellatrix looked down towards where Cissy was pointing and spotted what her youngest sister had seen. It was a flower, glowing in the darkness. "It's pretty."

Bellatrix looked down at Cissy and smiled as she got to her feet. "Wait Bella." Andromeda warned. "It's too dark."

"It's just there!" Bellatrix replied with a huff. "What could possibly go wrong? If we can't find the waterfall, least I can do is get Cissy a stupid flower." Feeling annoyed and frustrated, Bellatrix ventured further into the cavern where light quickly stopped illuminating her way, forcing her to take it slowly.

Once she reached the flower, she reached down and gently plucked it from the ground._ 'Now this ought to put a big smile on Cissy's face.'_ Bellatrix thought with a smile, the silvery blue glowing flower turned out to be a magical version of a daffodil. Feeling pleased with herself, Bellatrix headed back to her sisters. "Here you go Cissy." She said as she knelt down and tucked the flower behind Cissy's ear. "You look beautiful." Leaning close she kissed an ecstatic Narcissa on the forehead before standing up and looking at Andy. "Let's head back then." Her sister smiled at her and nodded just as a loud rumble followed. "Hungry are you?" Bellatrix asked with a smirk.

"Hey, that wasn't me!" Andromeda protested, much to the amusement of her sisters. That was until the rumble came again, louder than before. The three sisters looked towards the darkness, where the sound seemed to be coming from. "Erm… Bella? What's that?"

"I'm not sure…" She admitted taking a couple steps forward, her gaze fixed on the darkness ahead. As they looked on, more sounds followed and while it was hard to make out preciously what they were over the sound of distant rushing water, it was clear they were getting closer.

"Maybe… Maybe we should leave now…" Andy muttered, her tone filled with concern and worry.

Under other circumstances, Bellatrix might have teased and mocked Andromeda for being afraid, and whilst not being afraid herself, Bellatrix didn't like what she was hearing. What she saw next she liked even less, a pair of large dim amber eyes getting bigger as they grew closer. Her own eyes widened as she realised what it was, stepping back slowly as she pulled out her wand. "Get ready to run with Cissy… I'll handle this." Looking at Andromeda, she mouthed one word, _dragon_.

Andromeda went pale and grabbed a hold of Cissy, before moving forward and pulling Bellatrix back. "You may be the best in your year, but you can't take it alone!" Andromeda pleaded, pulling on her some more. "Please Bella… We need you with us."

Bellatrix gritted her teeth as she looked back and forth between her sisters and the looming dragon. As much as it pained her to admit it, Andromeda was right… She might be able to slow it down but defeat it? Maybe… But she wasn't sure, and Bellatrix needed to be sure if she was to let her sister's out of her sight._ 'If I can't… Then it will go after Andy and Cissy next, and Andy can't fight it and protect Cissy at the same time… Shit…'_ Pocketing her wand begrudgingly, she backed towards the entrance with her sisters, grabbing a hold of Narcissa too. Then it came, a loud growling sound, a waft of hot air, the onset of something fiery. "Run!" Bellatrix shouted dragging her sisters back the way they came as flames narrowly missed them.

A loud roar echoed throughout the cave as Bellatrix ran with her sisters, keeping a tight hold of a screaming Cissy as they weaved through the open passageways. She could hear the dragon thundering its way after them; and it became clear to her that the large system of caves was in fact a lair, its lair. Which Bellatrix unfortunately knew meant two things, one, the caves were more than big enough for the dragon to move around and follow them, and two, it knew it's way around better than they did.

_'Shit… Which way was it?'_ Bellatrix considered hastily as they came out into one of the caverns they passed through earlier. Her two younger sisters looked at her, fearful, relying on their big sister to know the way. _'No time to think, going to have to pick one and hope…'_ She hurried her sisters across to the path she had picked. Just behind them the dragon had caught up and emerged into the carven, its large dark brown horned head reared up as it roared and spewed flames._ 'There's no way we can out run it, especially if we do find the way out…'_ She thought grimly as she led them, knowing that finding the way out could leave them in a much worse of position if the dragon decided to pursue them outside of its lair.

But there was nothing else she could do; the sickening feeling of helplessness filled the pit of her stomach as she blindly navigated the tunnels. Running wasn't something Bellatrix did, but as much as she wanted to fight, she couldn't protect her sisters at the same time; if the tunnels had been smaller she would have considered caving one in with magic to slow the dragon down. But they weren't, trying to cave one in would have taken too much time, time they didn't have.

Instead of directly heading for where she believed the way out was, she had them taking every turning they could, aiming for the smaller passages in the hope off losing the dragon, or at the very least, buying them a head start once outside. After a while it seemed to work, the sounds of the ferocious beast grew more distant until they faded altogether.

"I can't hear it anymore… Do you think we lost?" Andy asked as the three girls stopped running to catch their breath, Cissy was silently sobbing her heart out as Bellatrix's held her close, trying to reassure her with gentle gestures.

"I don't know… Maybe. We can't stop though, have to keep moving." Bellatrix said sternly with a frown. She knew Cissy was in no state to keep on running, but Bellatrix dared not risk them taking a break in case they were found. "Come, it will be getting dark soon." Andromeda silently agreed as she nodded and took the lead. As they approached the next cavern, the hairs on the beck of Bellatrix's neck began to stand on end; the air was suddenly hot and humid._ 'Something's not right…'_ She thought as she looked around, a head of Andromeda, her eyes caught the faintest glimmer of an orangey light. "Andy wait!" Bellatrix shouted as she shot forward, grabbing Andromeda's arm just before she stepped into the cavern.

Flames rushed forward, engulfing the area Andromeda was just about to step into. Searing heat brushed against their faces as Bellatrix pulled her sister back with such force that they both fell back and hit the floor hard. Andy hissed in pain and fearing for her sister, Bellatrix pulled her over to get a good look. "Andy! Are you ok?" Bellatrix asked worriedly.

"I'm fine… It just missed me… Thanks Bella… You saved-" Andromeda frowned as Bellatrix tried hard not to laugh. "What?! This isn't funny!" Andy snapped, completely unaware at what Bellatrix found so amusing. Stifling the urge to laugh, Bellatrix jumped to her feet and helped Andy helped, who hissed again in pain. "I think my ankle's twisted…" Her sister whispered out as she grimaced in pain, struggling to stand. _'Shit… Now we definitely can't outrun it…'_

Taking her sister's arm around her neck, she hurried them back as fast as Andromeda could manage, back the way they came, all of them fully aware the dragon was but a turning away from them. _'We need to lie low somewhere…'_ Looking around, Bellatrix spotted a slim vertical crevice in the side of the cave with light slipping through the cracks. "There!" She said sharply, pointing towards to the small gap. "In Cissy, and be careful!" Bellatrix ordered as they got to the wall. Doing as she was told, Cissy slipped in easily being the smallest. Next was Andromeda's turn, which proved to be a tighter squeeze but managed to slip inside also.

By now the dragon had caught up, it spotted Bellatrix by the wall and readied another fiery breath. Running out of time, Bellatrix squeezed through the gap hastily, cutting herself on the rocks as she forced her way in, only just avoiding being barbequed. "Get back! Towards the light!" Bellatrix shouted at her two sisters, pushing them down the cramped tunnel towards where the light was coming from. "No…" She muttered as they came to a small dead end cave, its exit blocked by a cave in. Bellatrix clambered up the rocks, trying the gaps in the wall where the light was coming through, but they proved only large enough to squeeze a hand through. And try as she might, she couldn't shift the larger rocks to make the gaps wider.

_'We're trapped…'_ She thought angrily as she kicked at the makeshift wall of rocks. Reaching into her pocket she pulled her wand and got ready to clear the rubble. "Bella no!" Andy shouted, coming up behind her and snatching the wand out of her hand. "You're not allowed! You're still underage!"

"Do you really think I care about what the Ministry thinks?" Bellatrix snapped, growling lowly at her sister, daring her to challenge her again. "Give me back my wand! Anyway underage magic is allowed to save our lives, so give it!"

"It's not the Ministry I'm worried about." Andromeda said, taking a step back and winching as pain shot through her ankle. "It's father! You know what happened last time you… _Embarrassed the family name_…"

Bellatrix winched involuntarily, remembering all too clearly what had happened. "I know but I don't care… What happens to me!" Bellatrix yelled so she could be heard over the roaring of the dragon in the previous cavern. "I can't just let you both be trapped here just because of what father will do!"

"You might not, but we do!" Andromeda snapped back, moving closer this time to Bellatrix and looking deep into her eyes as she hissed. "Do you think me and Cissy want to have to… Hear that again?"

"Please Bella…" Behind Andy, Bellatrix heard the tearful whimper of her baby sister. "Not again… I don't want daddy making you scream more…"

Glaring hard at Andromeda, Bellatrix pushed past her and went over to Narcissa, kneeling down in front of her. "Hey… Come now Cissy, don't cry." She said softly, wiping the blonde girl's tears away gently. "It's ok, I'll find another way." Bellatrix found herself promising in an attempt to reassure the youngest sister, rubbing her sister's arm softly she looked at Andy who had taken a seat on the rocks by Cissy. "We'll have to stay here till the morning; hopefully by then the dragon will have grown bored and left."

Feeling a bit better, Cissy smiled and hugged Bellatrix before she too looked at their other sibling. "Andy?" Cissy asked looking confused. "What happened to your eyebrows?"

"What?" Andromeda replied looking equally confused, much to Bellatrix's rising amusement before then touching her brow and feeling, or rather not feeling her eyebrows, not completely. "Oh no! What will Ted say?!" Unable to help herself any longer, Bellatrix started laughing loudly and continued to do so as Andy hit her arm repeatedly. "It's not funny Bella!"

* * *

><p>Hours had passed and the sun had long since set, faint moonlight was pouring through the collapsed exit. A small campfire was burning away that Bellatrix had managed to get started out of roots from the cave walls and bits of old dry wood found among the caved in exit. It had been awhile since the dragon's scratching and roaring had stopped, which had suggested to Bellatrix that it had given up. But it was far too dark to head back now, that and Cissy was fast asleep, her small blonde head was resting peacefully on Bellatrix's lap.<p>

Andromeda was sitting on the other side of the cave, adding the last of the wood to the flames and rubbing her hands together. "Where did you learn to do this by the way?" She asked quietly, breaking the hour long silence.

Looking up from their sleeping sister, Bellatrix laid eyes on the fire. "Dru taught me; her parents take her muggle camping sometimes during the holidays." Bellatrix couldn't help but smile as she answered, remembering the night Dru had taught her in the forbidden forest.

"Handy. It's amazing what muggles come up with in the place of magic." Her sister said with a smile, shivering slightly as she rubbed her arms.

"What are you doing?" Bellatrix finally asked with a sigh.

Her sister looked at her confused, before looking around and then to her hands. "Erm? Trying to keep warm? I would have thought that was obvious."

Bellatrix pulled a childish face and stuck her tongue out at her sister's remark before rolling her eyes. "So why are you over there then?" She asked in a hurried inpatient tone of voice. "Get over here."

But Andromeda didn't move, instead she stared at her big sister, looking surprised and slightly distrustful; as if she thought Bellatrix was having her on. "I thought…" She began to say quietly as Narcissa turned slightly in her sleep, before stopping herself and looking hesitant as she looked hard at the flames.

Bellatrix watched and waited for a reply as she softly stroked Narcissa's blonde hair, but when one didn't come. She cocked her head to the side and pondered what was going through her sister's mind; Andy had been cagey all night since their fight earlier, keeping her distance from Bellatrix and avoiding her gaze._ 'She thinks I don't care…'_ She realised, feeling slightly wounded that her sister would believe that. "You thought what? That because we fight and argue all the time that I don't care?" Bellatrix said in a low tone, sounding unintentionally harsh. For a moment, it didn't seem like Andy was going to acknowledge her, until she dipped her head a tad. "Then you're an idiot." Bellatrix snapped out in haste before she could stop herself.

Mentally chastising herself, Bellatrix took a deep breath. "Come here." She said softly, moving Narcissa a little and shuffling against the wall to make a space for her sister. Andromeda still looked suspicious but this time didn't question Bellatrix's request and silently came over, taking a seat by Bellatrix whilst still leaving a gap. Biting her tongue to stop herself making an irritated comment, Bellatrix reached an arm around Andromeda and pulled her close, her head coming to rest on her chest. "Don't ever think that… You, Cissy, and Dru… You mean the world to me… And I love you all dearly… I don't know I'd do if I ever lost either one of you…" Bellatrix confessed, reassuring a shaky Andromeda. Who judging from the wet drops hitting Bellatrix's hand, seemed to by silently weeping. She had just been about to ask what was wrong when Andy hugged her tight and smiled as she looked up for a second. "Now get some sleep." Bellatrix partially ordered, smiling back, feeling a little teary eyed herself as she leant her head back against the wall.

When Andromeda didn't reply, Bellatrix assumed her sister had taken her at word. Yawning as she closed her eyes, Bellatrix was about to try get some sleep herself when Andy whispered her name. "Bella?"

"Hmm?" She mumbled out sleepily.

"What are we going to do?"

"I told you, we'll wait till morning-"

"No I mean… About Dru and Ted?" Andromeda interrupted, shaking her head against Bellatrixs chest. "We can't keep it a secret forever…"

"I know…" She answered, resisting the urge to sigh, knowing that Andromeda wasn't going to sleep without a little extra reassurance. "Just… Be patient and leave it to me, we can't do anything about it till after Cissy graduates from Hogwarts."

"But… That's years away…" By now Andromeda had pulled away from Bellatrix and was sitting up, looking deep into her eyes with a desperate look. "We'll be married by then… You… Next year… And me…"

Bellatrix wasn't sure what to say to her little sister, there wasn't much she could say and none of it would put Andromeda at ease. Her sister was a sensitive soul and already head over heels for Ted, Bellatrix knew she didn't have the stomach or the heart to go through with it, but they didn't have a choice at the moment. Frowning and pursing her lips tight, Bellatrix reached out and softly grabbed Andy's shoulder. "Don't worry about it; Rabastan is only a year older than Cissy… You'll only been with him a year before Cissy is free."

"Whether it's a week, a year or a decade! It makes no difference!" Andromeda snapped, only to be shushed by Bellatrix who silently gestured to their baby sister sleeping peacefully. "I can't marry him, not when I love Ted." She added more quietly this time, her soft dark eyes brimming with tears. "How can you be so indifferent about it? About marrying Rodolphus? When we both know how much you love Dru."

_'Indifferent? Oh little sister, I'm far from indifferent about it… But I must do what's needed to ensure yours and Cissy's future…'_ Bellatrix thought as she stared into the flames, she couldn't tell her sisters that though, they already guilt tripped her enough and emotionally blackmailed her. If they knew she was only marrying Rodolphus for them, despite how heart breaking she found it… "Because we have no choice." Bellatrix retorted coldly, pushing her own thoughts and feelings aside as she slowly raised her hand to wipe away Andy's tears. "I can't delay my wedding for four years… But I'll do what I can about yours."

Her words were meant to try reassure her sister, but instead Andromeda went as white as a ghost. "No… Father almost killed you causing a scene at my betrothal… I don't want to imagine what he'd do if you tried to stop the wedding…"

"He won't kill me… He won't… _Risk _his arrangement with the Lestranges." Bellatrix spat out sourly, referring to herself in the same way her father did, as a piece of meat to trade, a possession not a person. "Anything less than killing me, he's done before… It's no big deal." And as if to show much she thought of the matter, she shrugged and yawned. "Unless you have a better idea?"

Andromeda nodded and moved closer to her, whispering in Bellatrix's ear as if she was still afraid their parents would somehow still hear. "I've said it before, we could run away from home."

"We've been over this… We're going to, but we need to wait for Cissy to turn 17 first." Bellatrix said as she stifled another yawn. "But not before then, I'm not leaving Cissy alone with our father."

"But… When we are married… We'll have to live with our… Our Husbands anyway. Cissy will be alone… So what's the difference?"

"The difference is abandoning Cissy or being forced apart. I _will _not abandon her to him." She replied sternly, giving Andromeda a serious glare. "What do you think father would do? Knowing two of his three daughters had run off with muggleborns?"

For a moment her sister was silent as she thought about it, before shaking her head vigorously. "So we run! All three of us right now!"

"What? Three underage witches with no home and no money? Not to mention both you and Cissy are under 16." Bellatrix countered as she looked at Andromeda in dismay, usually she was the level headed one and was the one that would point out when ideas, plans, suggestions would break rules or laws, or oppose ideas that were ridiculous. And yet here she was proposing the exact opposite. _'She must be more worried about this than I originally thought… Going to need to keep a close eye on her, to make sure she's ok.'_ Placing both hands on Andromeda's shoulders, she gently pushed her back at arm's length; she looked deep into her sister's eyes and tried to look as understanding and reasonable as she could. "I could run with Dru right now, but if you two came with me, the Ministry would drag you back to father… No. We wait. We wait until we're not legally bound to our parents, till were not underage and have access to our family's wealth. With it, we could build a good life for all of us, and there will be nothing our father can do… It's a long wait I know, but it will be worth it Andy… I promise."

"I… Sorry… You're right, it's just..." Biting her lip, Andromeda stopped herself and looked down at the floor as she tried to stop further tears.

Gently, Bellatrix slipped her hands down and around Andromeda, and then pulled her back close against her. "Hard… I know… Like I said, just leave it to me, I'll take good care of us, I always do." Bellatrix gave Andy a kiss on the forehead then made herself comfy. "Now go to sleep."

"Ok… Night Bella, love you." Her sister muttered out sleepily as she used Bellatrix's chest as a makeshift pillow and fell silent.

"Love you too sis." Bellatrix whispered, before she closed her own eyes, she looked down at the silver pendant dangling above her bosom._ 'Love you Dru.' _She thought with a smile as sleep overcame her, it had been a long day and tomorrow she'd have to face the fury of their mother once they returned.

* * *

><p><strong>Bellatrix<strong>

**Present Day**

Snapping out of her daze, Bellatrix sighed. "My arse was sore for days, I never knew our _dear_ mother could hit so hard." Bellatrix muttered, pouting slightly. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Andromeda trying hard not to laugh. "What's funny!" She snapped. "Oh right my sore arse is funny but your singed eyebrows isn't?!" Bellatrix glared at her younger sister, her mouth twitching as she fought her own urge to laugh. But for some peculiar reason, she just couldn't help it and slowly, Bellatrix began to laugh light-heartedly along with her disowned sister.

For a moment Bellatrix forgot all the ill feelings she held for her sister, and just for a split second, she was taken back to how it all used to be, before all the heartbreaks and betrayals. "You shouldn't have taken all the blame." Andromeda said when they stopped laughing.

"It was my job as yours and Cissy's big sister." Bellatrix replied with a shrug. "Besides… Cissy was terrified mother was going to tell father. Didn't want her thinking she was going to get into trouble too."

"But she didn't. Mother I mean, she never did tell father." Her sister looked at her carefully, giving her a little smile. "I know you believed mother never cared for you, but she did. In her own way, if she didn't she would have told father."

"Maybe…" Bellatrix admitted with a sigh, before her face grew hard. "But whatever she felt for me all changed the day our _beloved_ father died. She felt nothing but hate for me."

Andromeda dropped her gaze, her face as emotionless as Bellatrix's words. If the sisters shared one thing in common still, it was how they felt about their long departed father, something neither of them had ever shed a tear over. "You can't blame her. For whatever reason, she loved him, despite the monster he was."

"She was nothing but a weak fool." Bellatrix spat out darkly. "Who happily stood by and let father do the things he did, she didn't care what happened as long as she got an easy life." To that, Andromeda had no reply. Even she couldn't deny the fact that their mother allowed her father to get away with everything that happened, not once did she ever defend them. "Going to his funeral was one of the happiest moments in my life…" Bellatrix said sadistically before looking curiously at the black outfit Andromeda was wearing. "Come to think of it, the only time I've ever seen you wear black was at father's funeral. Was that Cissy's idea? Wear black and subtly remind me our father is dead so I'd direct all my hate at him instead of you?" She asked, not knowing entirely for sure if she was kidding or not.

Andromeda's warm smile dropped from her face, her soft eyes grew hard. "No. I've got a service to attend later at Hogwarts." She said quietly, refusing to meet Bellatrix's gaze.

And just like that, as if a switch was flipped inside her. Reality hit home as Bellatrix snapped out of her fleeting return to the person she once was from a time long since gone. Darkness descended on her face as she sat up straight and rigid, her lip curling up into a snarl, feeling absolutely furious with herself. "I see. Haven't you got some questions you were meant to be asking? Quit wasting my time!" Bellatrix snapped coldly.

"Very well." Her sister replied as the slightest flicker of sadness passed over her. Looking down at the paperwork before her, Andromeda began to read out some of the questions and continued to do so for the next half hour.

Bellatrix answered quickly, sharply and coldly for the most part, the other times she ignored the questions completely and answered with a cold hard glare._ 'How could I be so weak?! I knew… I knew she'd somehow worm her way in!'_ She wanted to blame Andy, and for the best part she did. But she knew deep down that her opening up at been all her choice, that she allowed herself to freely think back to that time._ 'They've always had that effect on me! No matter how strong I am, I always find myself leaving my defences wide open for them!'_ Deep within her, old feelings of betrayal, heartbreak and loss stirred having being awoken by her trip down memory lane.

"Right, I think that's everything for today." Andromeda said shortly while stacking the papers.

"Good, don't let me keep you." Bellatrix yawned and clucked her tongue impatiently, eager for Andromeda to leave.

Sensing she was being dismissed, Andromeda sighed and got to her feet, putting away all her stuff into a bag. "So, do you want me coming back? Or is this to be the only session?"

"I'll have to check my diary before I let you know." Bellatrix replied sarcastically, ignoring the looks she was getting as she began to fidget, pretending her sister was no longer there. She listened to her sister head towards the door, not bothering to look up, not even when she spoke again. "Oh and don't think for one instance that you're forgiven. It will take far more than a little slip up for me to even consider that!"

To her surprise, Andromeda laughed, coldly. "Oh there's that famous ego! What makes you think I'm ready to forgive _you_? Or have you forgotten how many times you tried to kill my daughter?" Her sister snapped with a deadly tone that Bellatrix never thought she'd hear from her sister's lips, forcing the eldest Black sister to look up in somewhat of a shock. "Good bye,_ Mrs Lestrange_."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Hope you enjoyed the latest instalment ^^ I know I did! In case of confusion, the flashback wasn't being shared/spoken out loud to Andromeda, it was purely Bellatrix's memory apart from the comments she shared with Andy before and after. Feel free to PM me any questions and if I can I'll answer :).

Thank you for reading :) I'll update soon! x


	16. Authors Note

Hello readers :) It has been so long since I updated and I apologise. As I mentioned in a previous note, real life got in the way for far too long and also no longer have a working computer, which makes writing difficult. I sadly lost a lot of my planning (my backup copy is also damaged :/) so I won't be able to update this until I have a new working computer.

But in the meantime I will be focusing my attention on my other Bellamione story, "T**he Future Black**" as that is a shorter story and requires less planning, allowing me to update it on a friends/family members laptop. I am hoping to have my own computer again soon, and as soon as I do, I'll get working on this once more :)


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